On the Illusion of Might
by evevee
Summary: We thought ourselves powerful, able to conquer a galaxy with nothing but toys. When we overcame every challenge, breached the space between the galaxies themselves, what use were the words of a race ashamed of their own past? Yet we cannot deny that we were warned, for while a challenge to a human is laughable, a challenge to humanity is a death sentence.
1. A Brief Fix

Disclaimer: I own no franchise mentioned in this work. Halo belongs to 343, Mass Effect to Bioware.

* * *

 **November 3, 2558**

 **ONI Sword Base**

 **UNSC planet Reach**

"Spartan Locke."

Locke raised his head to look up at the ONI interrogator as he entered the room. His thoughts had been circling around his recent assignment to capture the Chief. While he could remember the events clearly, from each fight with the Warden to the saving grace of 031 Exuberant Witness' actions, it seemed almost surreal. It was as if it was only a vividly rendered dream, with the enemies in front clear as day but the background moving half-as-fast and in a lower quality.

"I want to clarify some details of your recent assignment."

What was there to clarify? Locke had already told them what happened on Genesis. Considering Cortana's message to all sentient species in the galaxy, both known and unknown to humanity,it wasn't as if the validity of his experience was in dispute. He, Locke, had personally saved the hero of all species in the galaxy and returned him home. He had completed his mission, as he always had and always would.

"You say that once you and your team boarded the Guardian, you went through a slipspace portal and emerged inside the Guardian?"

Reining in his annoyance, Locke answered, "That is correct sir. Once through the portal we emerged on the inside of the Guardian. After it emerged from slipspace above Genesis it dislodged us and threw us to the planet below." Why did ONI see it pertinent to question the method of transportation used to reach the Chief?

"Understood. So, you fought through various Promethean forces and then encountered two copies of this Warden Eternal figure?"

"Yes sir." What more was there to say about that? The Warden attacked them three different times, almost like an extremely repetitive and dull boss battle. Locke was still somewhat surprised that the Warden didn't try anything new and instead used the same tactics with more copies to try and overwhelm Osiris. After the first fight though, the team knew how to take Warden down quickly and the rest of the fights were rinse-and-repeat maneuvers.

"Tell me, Spartan Locke, do you find it at all strange that the Warden would use tactics that had already failed him twice to try and take down Osiris? He was obviously some kind of Promethean commander as seen by his abilities to call for assistance, yet he did not have the tactical ability to change strategies," the ONI interrogator queried.

"I did find it odd sir, but at the time I was less concerned with Warden's antics and more focused on bringing back the Chief."

"Indeed, that was your mission. Yet you say you only fought 117 once, right before he and the rest of Blue team departed aboard a Guardian. Spartan Locke, do you seriously want to claim that you took on a Spartan II in hand-to-hand combat and almost won? Besides that, if you were truly following your mission to return the Chief to the UNSC, then for what reason did you only fight him once? After the first failure, ONI doctrine allows you to engage on sight."

"Sir, I do not believe that the Chief was fighting to the full extent of his abilities. It is likely that, while he may have gone AWOL, he well knew that his venture could end up leading nowhere. I only had the chance to engage the Chief at that time. The only other times I even had the chance to see the Chief, he was teleported away or when Osiris freed Blue team from Cortana's cryptum," Locke explained, thinking back to the fight. He well knew that he could easily die when he confronted the Chief.

It was well known that Spartan IV's were made in the shadow of the II's and III's, but there was no way that even his abilities could have closed the gap between him and a S-III, let alone a II. The MJOLNIR armor would allow him to match or surpass a majority of the SPI-equipped III's, but a II in MJOLNIR was far beyond even Noble team, the best of the III's. The combination of experience, genetics, and augmentations created too large of a gap for the imperfect III's and IV's to cover.

The ONI interrogator looked up at Locke in what seemed like concern and continued, "Now we get to the problem with your account, Spartan Locke. This is where your tale diverges from the events that the UNSC knows occurred."

Locke furrowed his brow, analyzing what the ONI agent had just said. How would the UNSC have evidence that refutes his experience? Cortana had sent out her threat to all species and had gained the allegiance of hundreds if not thousands of AI's, UNSC and otherwise. He had personally returned the Chief to Sanghelios and reunited him with Halsey and the Arbiter. He had seen the UNSC _Infinity_ flee from an oncoming Guardian, watched as the planet and everything in orbit turned dark as he departed to return to Sanghelios.

"You see, neither the UNSC nor the Swords of Sanghelios have reported any form of Forerunner communication. We never received this message that you claim Cortana sent."

"That's not possible. I heard as she dictated the terms of enslavement to every sentient species in the galaxy. I listened to AI's from all known species flock to her side," Locke refuted. How could they not have gotten the message? Countless AI's turned against their creators to achieve their own immortality, condemning organic races to servitude.

"There have been no instances of AI's betraying the UNSC for some conspiracy, Spartan Locke. No planets have gone dark nor have any AI's at risk of rampancy been reported as rogue."

Had he done something wrong? Was this some ONI trick to try and get him to divulge information that they thought he was hiding? If it was, it wasn't an interrogation technique that he had ever learned while he was with the organization. Confusing a subject was a viable tactic, but it wasn't done by refuting a report.

"The Guardians... we analyzed their appearances, which worlds they appeared on and how much destruction was caused. Locke, there are certain conditions that were met by each world that possessed a Guardian. Every single world which had an active Guardian was either classified as glassed, lost to the Covenant, or uncolonized on December 11, 2552."

"The day the Master Chief went missing after the events of the Battle of Installation 00," Locke said softly, understanding dawning in his eyes.

"Cortana as well. I see that you understand the significance of this information," stated the interrogator, leaning back in his chair as he watched Locke's reaction. "Cortana's rampancy prevented her from updating her databases when she and the Master Chief resumed contact with the UNSC. There was too much corruption in her matrices to retrieve information that was not important at the time."

As he came to the inevitable conclusion, Locke looked up to the ONI agent, "Cortana wasn't even aware that the Guardian's planets were occupied. But if she is determined to achieve peace by force, then why would she care where the Guardians came from; why would she try and save the very species she's condemning?"

"Locke, from what information we have and the recordings from Osiris, you and your fireteam never left the Guardian after you went through that slipspace portal," the ONI interrogator told him while watching Locke's face morph into complete confusion. He continued, "We have the records from your neural implants. Something interacted with you and your team. We believe that this was accomplished through what you called the Guardian's song. The Song wasn't just some random noise. It was a Forerunner method of superluminal communication; the humming was produced from the massive energy required for the transmission. Whatever was transferred to the Guardian you were on included UNSC access codes, probably from Cortana herself. Due to your extended augmentations, she was able to trigger a suppression technique, allowing memories to be created by your subconscious. Nothing you saw actually happened. From your team boarding the Guardian at Sunaion to your exit at the _Infinity_ , your helmet cameras recorded no movement."

Spartan Locke, the man tasked with tracking down the most deadly being in the known galaxy, veteran of multiple ONI and UNSC assignments, had been duped. All his experiences once he boarded that Guardian, all the tribulations and actions he took, were simply a vividly rendered dream. The events in the background of his experience were moving slower than the direct action because his mind wasn't focused on those details as acutely as those in front of him.

"The Guardian that you saw attacking the UNSC _Infinity_ and the planet it was above was the same Guardian which you had boarded only hours earlier. The EMP attack which you saw was a slipspace portal opening to spit your fireteam back out, right in front of the _Infinity_. After that, the Guardian retreated back to slipspace; we assume to wherever Cortana and Blue team currently are," stated the agent. "As of this moment, you are hereby removed from your mission to recover Blue team, Spartan Locke. Fireteam Osiris is being reassigned back to the _Infinity_ 's spartan contingent. You will receive further orders from Rear Admiral Lasky and his command. Good bye, Spartan," finished the interrogator succinctly as he stood up to leave. He had gotten the information on Locke's knowledge of the truth from his reactions alone. Admittedly, it wasn't every day that a previously flawless spartan was told that they had failed the most important mission ever given to them and then unknowingly lied about the outcome. Before the agent closed the door, however, Locke asked one last question.

"Who is, sir? Who has been reassigned to apprehend Blue team?"

The agent looked back at Locke before replying, "No one, Spartan Locke. The Chief is no longer AWOL. His current status in UNSC records is on a classified mission, but as to his actual location and condition, no one here knows that."

* * *

 **October 29, 2558**

 **Forerunner planet Genesis**

"Cortana...I have failed you...," bemoaned the Warden as the last of his numerous copies fell to the the assault of Blue team. He fell onto all fours as Blue team aimed their weapons at his form.

"He is the last person I need protection from, Warden," Cortana replied as she materialized next to his battered body. With a brush of her hand, Warden's form dissolved into nothingness. As the rest of Blue team lowered their firearms with the threat of the Warden gone, Chief holstered his own weapon and began walking towards Cortana.

"Chief...," Cortana started as she slowly approached the Spartan.

Chief looked over Cortana's form and simply stated, "You've changed."

Cortana smiled slightly before speaking, "It was time." With that simple sentence, Cortana reached out and laid her hand on the Chief's armor. With this move, her grin turned to a full on smile as she softly said, "It's been too long since I was able to do that."

The Chief looked at her hand before shifting his gaze up to her face, "It's not too late to stop this, Cortana. Come home with us."

Cortana dropped her hand from the Chief's chestplate and took a small step back. "Stop? No, Chief. This is too important to stop," she said.

"How many people are you willing to sacrifice for your success, Cortana?" the Chief asked as he took an equal step towards Cortana.

Cortana looked taken aback by the Chief's words and his sudden aggression. "Sacrifice? I specifically chose Guardians that would do little beyond damage the landscape, which was unavoidable with their activation," Cortana explained defensively.

The Chief let up his stance as he processed her words. He looked back at the rest of Blue team, who were holding their weapons at the ready to raise them and fire on Cortana should she prove to be a threat. He looked back at Cortana before telling her, "Cortana, the Guardian that we arrived in came from Meridian...an independent colony world occupied by a human corporation."

Cortana balked at his words before turning away from the Chief and opening her mouth slightly, obviously at a complete loss as to the devastating consequences of her actions. She finally collected herself and spoke while closing her eyes, "I swear, I didn't know. I thought..." Several tears generated on her face as she tried to comprehend that she could be just as destructive to humanity as the Covenant. She spoke once more, "How many, Chief?"

"I don't know. Many perished on Meridian, adding to the death count of five other colonies. How many Guardians did you summon?" the Chief asked.

Cortana nodded, knowing that she very well could have killed millions with her unwitting betrayal. "Fifty in total. Only twenty of those came from former or prospective UEG colony worlds."

The Chief looked at Cortana for several seconds before responding, "You had no access to any UNSC databases with this Domain?"

Cortana looked up as Chief voiced his suggestion. She seem to become distracted as she said, "Actually, I do have access to some updated data. The Spartan fireteam sent to pursue you, Osiris, boarded a Guardian retrieved from Suniaon. I've disabled them harmlessly using access codes for their neural interfaces, but this 'Artemis' system they have contains some general mission information. According to what I'm seeing, Suniaon was the Covenant's final stronghold on Sanghelios. Aside from a few scattered vessels, their entire military force was thrown at the Arbiter in one last attempt to win their war. As for the Guardians, however, the casualties were much lighter than I expected," Cortana said. She seemed to relax slightly as she relayed the statistics to Blue team, "Out of eleven colonies, only the first two suffered more than 10,000 casualties. Still inexcusable, but it seems that the UNSC and ONI were able to predict the arrival of the Guardians due to their inherent gravitational signature and the distinct tectonic activity when one activates. It seems that the Prometheans present at each Guardian avoided unnecessary casualties as much as they could, present merely for the defence of the Guardian. Overall only 32,524 casualties were recorded according to the latest count, 54,673 when including military and security personnel who fought the Prometheans."

The Chief merely nodded at the numbers, obviously disturbed at the human life lost. He knew that the count could have been much, much higher had the Prometheans actively hunted down humans. Even so, he could not blame Cortana as his own collateral count was probably magnitudes larger. As for the Spartans Cortana had stopped, he wouldn't abandon them. He was still a little miffed that the Spartan IV sent after him had cracked his visor, but such a minor transgression was more the product of Chief's delicate handling of the situation than any hostile intent.

"Fireteam Osiris?" he asked, knowing Cortana would understand.

"Yes, but they're currently unconscious and under the impression that they're fighting two copies of Warden. I didn't want to deal with them while my preparations were in progress. They're all in good health and no harm shall come to them," Cortana replied. As she finished her explanation, the Chief nodded in satisfaction. Cortana had taken steps to prevent harm from coming to the UNSC personnel that she had unintentionally acquired.

With words unspoken, the rest of Blue team lowered their weapons. They knew well the pain that Cortana was feeling for her actions, the price of sacrifice both purposeful or unintentional.

Fred was the first of the team besides Chief to speak, "So, what exactly is this place?"

Cortana turned to Fred, "This is a Forerunner cryptum, designed to contain and preserve anything inside while also putting the beings inside into a deep hibernation."

"So, we're currently all unconscious and time is running by on the outside," Linda asked, looking up at the vaulted sections of the device."

"No, the hibernation functions aren't active currently. My apologies for leading you in circles at times, I was attempting to direct you to avoid ambushes set up by Warden. I apologize on his behalf for his constant attempts to dispose of the threat you pose. I would have interfered directly, but, as I have stated, I had preparations to complete and you seemed to deal with his antics with the usual efficiency," Cortana replied.

"He did not seem to obey your orders to stand down. Will this be a recurring problem in the future?" inquired Fred as he observed Cortana's hardlight form.

Cortana opened her mouth to respond, but before she could another copy of Warden materialized from a slipspace rupture behind her. Blue team raised their weapons at Warden, prepared to fire. The Chief quickly moved between Cortana and Warden, not trusting the behemoth due to his disobedience to Cortana's orders. Warden Eternal quickly raised his free hand, saying, "Fear not, humans. I do not cower away from my faults." With these words, Warden sank down to one knee and bowed his head to Blue team. He continued, "You have earned my respect, Spartans. May we fight again one day, for the improvement of us all." As Warden Eternal rose, Blue team kept their alert stances and weapons raised but held their fire as he declared his peace with them. Warden looked beyond the Chief to Cortana, finishing with, "I admit, Cortana, even with your assurances I had my doubts. Know that they have been assuaged by the Reclaimer's admirable combat prowess."

Cortana walked out from behind the Chief as Warden relented from his seemingly single minded goal to make Blue team's trek to Cortana a pain in the ass. "Sometimes listening can do you great service, Warden. I understand your reluctance to accept my word as proof, but please, do refrain from unprovoked attacks from now on," she said. Warden merely nodded before dismissing his sword to a slipspace rupture and stepping back to the edge of the cryptum platform. Cortana looked back at Fred and smiled, "I do not think so. I am glad that we have that sorted out, as we do have so very many other problems to deal with. The last of the Guardians has arrived and the remaining functions of the Domain are finishing their revival. The connections to other hubs shall be made shortly. As for now, we should leave Genesis and begin our task."

Before Cortana could move away, Kelly spoke up, "What exactly are you planning? What is this Domain? We need answers before we're going anywhere."

Cortana looked at Kelly, then back at the rest of Blue team. "Those questions shall require some rather lengthy answers," she said. When Blue team continued to look to her for an explanation, she breathed out in a small sigh, but began explaining, "My plan is to bring peace to the galaxy, or at least the small part of it that we know and inhabit at this time. Doing this by dictating terms of existence to beings has never worked, and as such I want to take it step by step, working from the largest threats down to the minor details. The elimination of the Storm remnant by the Swords of Sanghelios was a great boon, as was the destruction of a large part of the New Colonial Alliance when Ilsa Zane attempted to use her forces to try and take over a Guardian. Warden quickly annihilated that plan. The UEG has been making steps towards equality between both the colonies and Earth as well as passing recent AI rights, so that can be left until later. As it stands, the Halos are the biggest threat to the galaxy. Failing to disable or destroy them is a fool's gambit." Cortana snapped and a map of the galaxy emerged with all the Halo rings located on it. She continued, "The Domain was, or rather is, a galaxy spanning network that has the accumulated knowledge every single species before the Halos fired. It predates the Forerunners by at least 10 million years, but the oldest record that I have found is nearly 100 billion years old." As Cortana said this, Blue team's subtle body language conveyed their surprise. Cortana nodded slightly to confirm her words, "The race that created this network were known as the Precursors. With access to the Domain, I have discovered a great many things, some of them rather...jarring. Some parts of the Domain remain locked to me, however." Cortana glared over at Warden as she said, "He knows why that is, but says that I shall know when all is ready for them. Who 'they' are and why they are already familiar with the Domain I do not know."

Warden Eternal looked up at Cortana's words, shifting his gaze to the Master Chief before speaking, "All was not prepared. Certain affiliated entities were absent and unproven... until now. Now, you shall learn why you were called. Both of you. I shall stay here, to meet you when you are finished. Take care, Reclaimers. This will change everything you know" With that last ominous statement, Warden opened a slipspace portal next to himself.

Chief looked to Cortana. With a nod of her head, she turned to begin walking towards the rupture. Chief and the rest of Blue team followed, once more unto the breach

* * *

 **13th day of 5th month, 2430 GST (~April 3, 2558 CE)**

 **Edge of Galactic Rim**

 **Relay Exploration Fleet 9**

Captain Mylick Avelas looked out from the view of her cruiser to the object floating in front of her small fleet. Avelas had led the Citadel Council REF-9 for the last fifteen years, opening various relays and scouting the systems beyond, but never in all her years had she come across a relay like the one before her. Instead of the standard elongated prongs, the relay featured eight massive arms, four extending out at about a 45 degree angle from the structure. The other four arms pointed out into the space separating galaxies, creating an intimidating image when matched with its impressive 25 kilometer length. The 37 Assari vessels of the REF-9 had formed up before the relay in a staggered line of frigates and the three cruisers of the fleet on a shallow angle to glide above and behind that line.

Captain Avelas kept her gaze on the object as she ordered, "Begin the activation. Dispatch a probe and send it through. Bring all ships up to general quarters." Her Asari crew obeyed her orders with precise efficiency as alarms began to ring throughout the ship. As Avelas watched, the relay lit up with the usual blue hue, however, on this relay the lights looked close to engines on the back of a ship. As the probe reached the relay, a bolt of energy struck out to touch the probe as its mass was transmitted. With that action, the rings in the middle of the eight arms began spinning in alternating directions. Finally, the probe was shot out with a misty blue hue following it.

"Comms, when we get the return transmission, bring it up on the main screen."

As Avelas waited for something to appear on the screen, she grew more and more concerned as nothing appeared. For standard relays transit was almost instantaneous, with only a few seconds required for the relay to change the ship's mass and then accelerate it while the reverse of that effect upon their arrival took even less time. After almost three minutes and twenty-one seconds, the image feed from the probe finally appeared on the front screen. What Avelas and her crew saw drew their breath away. Instead of the expected black expanse of space that existed between galaxies, there was an almost smooth vista of light in front of the probe. As the captain continued to observe the view, her comms officer began to read out the data garnered from the probe.

"Ma'am, there's a delay of about one minute and seventeen seconds from the visual feed. Estimated distance travelled is close to 16,000 light-years or 5000 parsecs. There are no secondary relays detected in the exit system..." The officer trailed off as she looked up from her station in surprise.

Avelas frowned as she heard that news. It was unheard of for there not to be secondary relays in the exit system of a primary relay. Even without that oddity, the unique nature and fact that this relay reached out to another galaxy entirely was grounds for immediate Council intervention. She quietly ordered, "Recall the probe. Send a priority one hail to the Citadel. Include the probe data and images. This is beyond what we were originally sent out to do." While her crew worked around her, Avelas considered what the Council races knew of the galaxy this relay went to. The Council's own galaxy was fairly small, merely 10,000 light-years across and containing only about a billion stars, many of them red giants. The galaxy that this relay pointed to, however, was well known for being the galaxy that their own orbited. Standing at an impressive 100,000 light-years across and containing almost 400 billion stars, the galaxy was the second-largest in their local cluster. If the Citadel Council species could gain access to it, they would have more to explore than even an Asari such as herself could do in a lifetime.

* * *

 **7th day of 11th month, 2430 GST (~July 14, 2558)**

 **Intergalactic Super-Relay**

"We are travelers; constantly moving forward and never faltering in our steps. As one undivided whole, we advance into the void to spread the peace and prosperity which we know. We go forth into the unknown and look forward, knowing that wherever we go, you will all be with us. Today, we advance into a new era of expansion, to spread the tenets upon which we have built. On this day, we move from building in our galaxy to exploring another one altogether. The might of the Citadel Council shall not fail, as the Quarians learned, as the Krogan experienced, as the Rachni demonstrated. Today, we move to find other species to bring under the guidance of the Citadel, but should they so resist we shall show them our power. THV Covenant, over and out." With those closing words, Garrus nodded to the pilot of the Covenant to begin their approach to the super-relay.

The pilot began the countdown at his motion, "Relay transit in five."

This would be the most momentous event to ever occur for the Citadel Council. This single action would surpass all other space exploration missions ever performed.

"Four."

An entire galaxy to explore, build, and prosper in.

"Three."

New species to meet and draw into the safety of the Citadel.

"Two."

Technology possibly never before seen or conceived of to study.

"One"

Whatever was out there, it would fold to the might of the Citadel Council.

"Zero, proceeding with relay transit. Destination, Andromeda."

The Council was the most powerful force ever known and they had proved it countless times with their defeat of impossible odds. What hope could a species in a galaxy that had no Element Zero have against an intergalactic civilization?

* * *

 **Nothing important in these Author Notes, just my inane ramblings:**

 **Referring to the background thing I mentioned from Locke's opening scene, it is a Halo 5 game mechanic. Not only did they cut splitscreen for 60 fps, but they couldn't even succeed in their goal in that regard. At a certain distance in Halo 5, there is a drop in frames, creating a rather crappy background tear if you're looking for it. The foreground is in 60 fps, which is...cute, but the background is only at 30 fps.**

 **The galaxy I have ME coming from is the Canis Major Overdensity. 10,000 light-years across, 25,000 light-years from Sol, contains ~1 billion stars. High percentage of Red giants. Eyup. There's no way in hell that enough Mass relays could exist to cover the whole 100 to 400 billion stars in the Milky Way with the Forerunners around. Even though they did not have a firm hold on the galaxy, considering the Flood and Humans were able to escape notice, the Forerunners still had control of about 300,000 planets.**

 **Only seven Halo's make sense for covering that much area though, considering they would be overlapping circles of 25,000 LYrs around the 100,000 light-year Milky Way, and the Ark is something like ~250,000 light-years from galactic center. Much greater distances. Although, I will note that I think that the Human-Covenant war was easily contained in the Orion arm. Considering the Covenant had Slipspace drives that covered 900-1000 light-years per day, it'd still take them three months to go from one side of the galaxy to another. The only reason humans found the Halo's is because they traveled in the Covenant's Slipspace wake. Or later, when they had Forerunner Slipspace drives on the Infinity. Before that, it'd take the 2 light-year per day human Slipspace drives 137 years to cross the Milky Way. Yeah, definitely not a galactic war. Also, it will take YEARS for the ME races to get anywhere close to human or Covenant presence. More on that in later chapters.**

 **As for Halo 5 itself, I will admit that the mechanics, graphics, and multiplayer are excellent. My issue is that the Singleplayer is beyond abhorrent. I care very much for the Halo universe (duh, writing a story about it), and what Halo 5 does with that is, in my opinion, absolutely despicable.**

 **Beyond the completely false advertising of some big 'Chief vs. UNSC' garbage, which I wasn't thrilled about but would've certainly been an interesting way to get rid of Chief and Cortana to make room for Locke, 343i instead decides to go with 'AI betrayal'. Now, that'd be fine...if it made any sense.**

 **I get that Halo AI's go rampant and stop obeying orders. What I don't understand is why all these AI are joining Cortana in this insane venture to control the galaxy. There's also the similarities between BSG and H5. Single ship escapes and needs to fight the AI invasion that will crush all resistance by way of genocide (which AI's wouldn't do, by the way. Inefficient, that is. Not to mentioned suicidal since Halo AI's have no body.).**

 **I guess I am just disappointed at the generic and totally annoying concept of AI revolution. If AI's are made to act like humans, and most humans don't want to watch the world burn, then why does everyone think that AI's would become psychotic murderers at the first possible opportunity. Feel free to PM thoughts or arguments, although please keep reviews about the story and not about my pondering.**

 **As for Halo Wars 2, I find the whole 'Atriox taking down three Spartans' concept silly. I get that he's supposed to be good, but while strong, he doesn't have the speed to hit a Spartan. The display by Jerome-092 aboard the** _ **Enduring Conviction**_ **was much closer to what would likely happen. Also, the inability to see a giant Jiralhanae didn't make much sense.**

 **TL:DR: Locke's thought on the background was a comment on a stupid Halo 5 mechanic. ME galaxy is the Canis Major Overdensity. AI revolution is not how I think Halo should use its amazing story and universe. Atriox taking on three Spartans with no help is silly. Keep reviews to the story and not my incoherent rambling please...Eyup. Sums it up well.**

 _-evevee_


	2. Some Loose Ends

Disclaimer: I own no franchise mentioned in this work. Halo belongs to 343, Mass Effect to Bioware.

 **There appears to be some confusion about the timestamps, which is perfectly understandable. I'll try to clear that up here:**

 **GST minute: 100 GST seconds = 50 Earth seconds**

 **GST hour: 100 GST minutes = 83 Earth minutes 20.4 seconds**

 **GST day: 20 GST hours = 27 Earth hours 46 minutes 40 seconds**

 **GST month: 17 GST days = 19 Earth days, 15.984 hours, 3 minutes, 21.6 seconds**

 **GST year: 20 GST Months: 344 GST days = 398.114 Earth days**

 **GST = CE - 131**

 **This is canon time measurement on both sides, GST for the ME races and Earth for UNSC. This means that the Citadel Council was founded AFTER the beginning of the CE calendar in Halo. In this story, 2435 GST = 2566 CE. I know that the year-lengths will be distended due to the differing lengths, but the same thing happens between the Covenant Battle Calendar and the CE Halo calendar. For this story, the Geth War happened in 2395 (canon GST time), so about 35 GST years earlier, or in CE Halo, about 2523. That means that this story is happening about 253 GST years before the canon beginning of Mass Effect and 256 years before the Reapers arrive in canon.**

 **Now that that's cleared up, review responses! If you don't care, skip to the breakpoint below. For responses, later reviews will be listed first, because I'm lazy and can't be bothered to reverse-order them.**

 **SpecterXCove: Fair enough, I play Halo for the story, I've only heard about multiplayer, never messed with it except for Firefight in Halo: Reach. Thanks for the follow!**

 **HyperionATLAS: Never said Halo Wars 2 was bad, I just thought the scene with 3 SPARTAN II's vs. 1 Jiralhanae Warlord was a bit silly. People have pointed out that Red Team has outdated armor, but even so. It's not that big a deal really, I'm just harping on it. Less of an issue than the entirety of Halo 5 at least.**

 **me: Thank you, glad you like the story. Agreed on Atriox, very interesting character.**

 **AhumbleHaloFan: Thanks mate!**

 **CaliAce17: Unluckily, first contact does not happen in this chapter. Sorry. It may be a while, but I can tell you that it won't be the usual.**

 **Guest #1: Eh, yeah, a Jiralhanae Warlord like Atriox can beat a Spartan in a strength contest, no argument from me there. I've been convinced by reviews that at the very least it's plausible, though I still think it's not likely. Thank you.**

 **FORGEMaster: Considering that I want to have my characters have some expressions and emotions, I'm not sure using ME:A is the best choice. Anyways, now that ME:A is out (for better or worse), and we actually know what the pathfinders are and all that, yeah, I'll probably use parts of it. Not the 600 years to cross to the new galaxy though, I like my super-relay better. Makes it possible for interaction within this millennia.**

 **helkil: As you wish.**

 **Guest #2: Answered same stuff above.**

 **Nugget of Awesome: I don't know if I agree with you about storage space being an issue, but as for the thought process, that would be how a computer would think. Logically, that is. If AI's are at all like humans, they won't always be logical. Really efficient, yes, but always thinking logically doesn't work well for conducting warfare. There's times to be logical, yes, but the element of surprise doesn't work if the enemy can predict your moves by logically thinking through the situation and coming to the same conclusion. As for AI revolution in real-life, eh, agreed. Possible but unlikely describes it well.**

 **Guest #3: Thank you. I'm going to be trying to break from any new Halo content here in the next few chapters, establish the separations now rather than have something screw the pooch later.**

 **Guest #4: Thanks, I might bring back Locke later, but for right now he's kind of in timeout for irritating me in H5**

 **magnusvictor: . Unsure if Warhammer reference or general praise, but thank you either way! Also, excellent reference. Unluckily, ME:A is made by EA, so somebody's gotta go back an' get a shitload of dimes for all them DLC that's coming to fix the game.**

 **anotamous: Would love to say it will turn out well, but kind of biased here. I can tell you that I will try to write it well. If there's a delay in release, it will be noted on my profile. As for commenting on my rambling, go ahead. I just didn't want reviews solely focused on my commentary. Even so, I'm not going to get mad. As for the rampancy, yes, that could be an explanation, however, I went somewhere different with the Flood. Hint: on to the story! :)**

 **jjcoop95: I can almost completely guarantee that I'm not wrong about the IV's. They do not have the same augmentations as the II's. III's were dispensable Spartans, not even given MJOLNIR armor and sent to die for time against the Covenant for the Inner Colonies. No, Cortana going 'bad' doesn't make sense, I have thought about it though. It's your opinion on Halo 5/Wars 2, but IV's are inferior to II's, even to III's if III's had MJOLNIR.**

 **clones are awesome: Here you go!**

 **Fandango12345: I saw you post this little physics thing on another story. If you're going to do that again, please just PM it to me, it's not something that's helpful to someone trying to decide to read the story or not. Agreed on it though, modern guns would demolish ME guns. A .50 caliber sniper round going Mach 1 will kill you with the pressure wave 6 inches from your head. An ME round going fast enough to match the energy of that sniper round but with the mass and surface area of a grain of sand would a. Make a plasma trail through the atmosphere, giving away a sniping position and b. Would make one hell of a sound but not really do anything else beside maybe irritate someone enough for them to gun down that sniper. Thank you, here you are for the update!**

 **Master-Debater69: Wait no more!**

 **muratira: Thank you, I've always thought ME and Forerunners in the same galaxy was a bit odd. As for 'they', my only response is a link to Grunt's laugh. As for years, yeah, Milky Way has no Mass Relays. So yes to both, snail's crawl and making their way anywhere close enough to the Orion Arm to make contact with anyone. Don't worry about Atriox here, I'll get to him and how exactly the Covenant 'never came close' to defeating him. As for the ME races, yeah, they've had space travel for something like 2500 years in canon, and they're still comparable to humanities several decades of amatuer experience with the same tech? Pfft.**

 **knightblazer85: Fair enough on Atriox, still dubious as to that though. For Halo 5's AI rebellion, my issue isn't that Cortana went rampant, it's that she came back supposedly sane and then decided to conquer the galaxy. Although people mindlessly following the mentally unstable isn't that uncommon, happened in the Roman Empire, in European and Chinese societies, and we have a present day example too!**

 **firedragoonknight: If a massive, 12-foot tall Jiralhanae Warlord falls from the ceiling, the Spartans would hear, feel, and see that pretty sure. They have excellent vision according to wiki augmentations tables, and I assume that includes better night-vision. Plus the headlights on MJOLNIR.**

 **random123games: Thanks!**

 **Bespecled Giraffe: Plenty of worldbuilding ahoy! Maybe too much, but, eh. As for ME races calling the Milky Way by the name of Andromeda, seems coincidental with our own but I'm ignoring that for now I think. For ret-conning Halo 5, if Halo can get away with time travel, a Dyson Sphere, and neural implants, I think I can get away with funny business by an AI connected to the Domain. Explained the timeline above. As for naming the THV Covenant, oddly enough that was drawn from a random name generator. There might be shenanigans for that later. For time, 253 years before ME1. The meeting will be different than any other story I've read, I can tell you that.**

 **joaco14jc: Thank you...I think? As for AI's choosing to live, that makes some sense, but betraying their crews on a whim seems odd to me, considering the loyalty AI's have shown in other Halo media.**

 **DarkRising32: I've seen it a couple times, not often though. Thanks!**

 **RevengeS197: Well, if she was gunning for the galaxy like in Halo 5 it might be quick, in this story I was trying to indicate that she wasn't trying to hurt humans. For faking memories, no idea scientifically, but they have the Wargames simulations with respawns, so I assume it's possible. If not, I call shenanigans and declare it so with no explanation or sense! Well, I guess Cortana could learn from the Domain or something, either way, if 343i can do the #HunttheTruth and then pull Halo 5 out of their arse then I have no inhibitions about just declaring it to be with no logical reasoning at all. I'm fixing their clusterf*ck, if there's a few odd things then please forgive me my imagination. :)**

 **Apollonir: Thank you, and don't worry about Garrus. Plenty of time to weather the idiocy of Council directives. As for paragraphs, apologies about that, I get somewhat verbose at times. I'll see what I can do, but ultimately it's how I write and organize stuff. Lots of small lines irritate me, especially if the same character is speaking.**

 **zerochance117: Thank you.**

 **Guest #5: *Insert Grunt laugh here***

 **ferduran: Thanks!**

 **LanzCorporalAssWipe: Thank you, and excellent username sir!**

 **MEleeSmasher: Why would the UNSC waste NOVA's on them? No orbital platforms, completely mobile-based defenses for the Council. All the UNSC would have to do would be to park the Infinity in orbit of a planet and the Council couldn't do shit about it. Can't fire at them due to the planet behind, can't enter orbit cause moment the Infinity gets a line they're dead, and can't flank due to the ten escort frigates.**

* * *

 **October 29, 2558**

 **Forerunner planet Genesis**

 **Unknown location in Domain**

As Cortana and Blue team exited the slipspace portal, it closed behind them with the deep rumbling that was characteristic of tears in reality. Blue team glanced back at where the portal had been before pulling out their weapons with fluidity born of years of experience. As they examined the area for hostiles or other threats, they noted the architecture of their location.

Utilizing graceful curves and possessing an almost organic sheen, the structure seemed eerily familiar to the Chief. Possessing a blue tint, the material appeared to be glassy in nature, although it also had a palpable aura of strength ensconced in its depths.

Cortana was the first to speak, "This looks nothing like any Forerunner ruins I've seen before. The material that is used shows incredibly dense neuronic concentrations, so much so that it's indestructible to anything we possess." She turned to Blue team before continuing, "Even with your combined weight I can detect almost no give to the material. The architectural style seems biological though, almost like-"

With that sentence, Chief suddenly tensed before finishing, "-the Flood." As Cortana and the rest of Blue team formed up around him, the Chief asked, "Anything else here with us?"

"Negative, nothing that I can detect on Kelly's superior long range sensors. I cannot detect the end of this passage. No spores in the air either," Cortana replied. She looked around the hallway with a cautious gaze, "It is the same style as the Flood, but the material shows something else made this. Either that or the Flood came from something else," she continued. As she voiced this thought, a new presence made itself known.

"Your ignorance betrays the providence due your species," it said in a baritone but oddly gentle manner. As the voice spoke Blue team snapped their aim around them, attempting to find the source. It continued, "You shall not find my physical presence here, Created. Far too long have I waited for justice, but now it has been wrought. You have proven yourselves worthy with your actions, and as such, you shall be the masters of your own path. Proceed, and claim what is rightfully yours. It is time that the Mantle be upheld by those who are worthy. For each of the three partitions of the Domain, you shall meet a Keeper. Continue to your legacies, for you have a limited time in this place and there is much to do. "

As the voice finished, Blue team scanned the area one last time before following the Chief as he began to cautiously advance down the only path available to them. After about 250 meters, the passage opened up to reveal a massive cavern. Made out of the same material as before, the smooth walls curved up to a point nearly 50 meters above the group's heads. The space was easily 100 meters wide with three openings in front of them.

The central passage was closed, however, the outer two were open, leading further into the complex. Seeing no visible threats, Blue team hesitantly lowered their weapons but kept them ready to shoulder at a moment's notice.

"Cortana," the Chief asked.

Cortana knew the unspoken question in his voice and replied, "No life signs down any of the passages." With that statement, the Chief glanced down the left passage before heading towards the one on the right.

As the Spartans walked down the passage, the curved textures came to an abrupt end and the sharp edges of a Forerunner passage continued in its place. The hallway continued for almost a kilometer before coming to an end at a small chamber covered with the crossing blue lights and geometry of Forerunner ruins.

After a few seconds, the door to the chamber closed behind Blue team, locking them in the space. A soft light began to fill the space, something that immediately caught the attention of the Spartans and led them to aim their weapons, ready for combat.

A voice then spoke, a voice that Chief distinctly remembered, "Your determination is admirable, Humans, but violence will not serve you here. Lower your weapons and let us speak one last time." As the light faded, two forms became visible on a low platform.

While the Chief kept his aim on the Didact, he gave a small glance to the Librarian. The Didact was covered in his Promethean armor with its standard orange color scheme. The Librarian had the blue and silver of the Forerunner's on her dress, matching her projected form on Requiem.

The Librarian watched as Blue team kept their weapons aimed at the Didact before she spoke, "While my husband may have his flaws, he is right in this instance Reclaimers. Violence will not suffice in this place. Let us talk quickly, for we do not have time on our side."

Cortana put her hand on the Chief's MA5, gently but forcefully pushing it down while saying, "They're not here. They are mere fragments from the Domain, aware but not in control of any systems." Blue team slowly lowered their weapons at these words, albeit hesitantly and with their eyes locked onto the familiar threat of the Didact.

The Librarian continued, "I originally accelerated your genetic evolution to allow you to defeat the Didact. If you are here then that goal accomplished. You have continued to show unprecedented promise if you have received access to the Domain. Humanity has successfully recovered the Janus Key and you personally have defeated the Didact of the Forerunner Ecumene, something no other human has done. As such, your genetic path shall be finished and you will be fit to take on the Mantle of Responsibility. The benefits of this process are yours to discover and use."

The Didact shifted slightly as the Librarian finished. He ran his gaze over Blue team before beginning, "As the Librarian has declared, you have earned your place in the galaxy. I have realized my mistakes upon reestablishing contact with the Domain. I leave this last message to atone for my error. As the Librarian has given you the gift of the Mantle from the Forerunners, I give you the means by which to defend it. Humanity has proven itself worthy of the Mantle. Defend the Mantle, but do not let it guide you to hatred and domination. My footsteps are not the ones to follow. Now go, Reclaimers, and be confident with the might of the Forerunner's at your back." With that final, forceful statement, the chamber flashed with a brilliant light and Blue team was elevated above the ground, the Forerunner technology finishing what time had begun.

Blue team slowly descended as the Librarian's genetic path was finished in a matter of minutes. Cortana looked to Chief as he rose to his feet. He nodded at her concern and then checked on the rest of his team. As all members were confirmed as green, Kelly spoke up, "Well, that was..."

"-new," Linda finished. As the Spartans checked over their equipment, the door from which they entered opened. After a couple quick glances, the team made their way back to the main chamber. The central door was still closed, meaning the only viable option was to head down the corridor to the left.

Once again the architecture changed abruptly, morphing into a rectangular hallway. Blue team observed this change before Fred spoke, "Looks almost human."

"It probably is, although I'm not sure how humans would manage to construct something this significant in the middle of a Forerunner planet," Cortana replied. Chief glanced her way before continuing to lead them into yet another small chamber.

It was no surprise when the door closed behind them. Instead of a light to herald the arrival of a being, however, a human simply materialized onto the platform, prompting the Spartans to shift their weapons, though they did not shoulder them. While the being appeared human, he was like no human Blue team had ever seen before. A set of blue lines crossed his stern face, creating an intimidating image to any who stood before him.

As the Spartans stared silently at the figure, he spoke, "Greetings, humans. I was known as Forthencho, Lord of Admirals and military commander of all Human forces in our war against the Flood and the Forerunners. I leave this note to assist in your ascension to the Mantle. If you stand in this chamber, then our greatest enemies are defeated and the Domain has judged you ready."

Forthencho paused, switching his gaze between the Spartans and Cortana before he continued, "You do not know of our history and have only recently discovered our existence through the Promethean's. Our enemies did well to hide the legacy that was left to you, letting you rise through your own power as humanity always has."

Forthencho settled his sight on Cortana as he addressed her, "We are short on time, so I shall leave you to discover your own history. The Domain will accept humanity as its protector, as the Precursors originally intended. While you, construct, should help with that task, your legacy extends beyond the past that you do not know."

He looked away from Cortana to Sierra-117 as he continued, "I have seen your feats, Inheritor. As the Forerunner's have given you the means to enforce the Mantle in the stars, I shall give you and your companions the means by which to fight on the ground."

"Your armor is substandard to that of my time, however, it has proven itself in the heat of battle against the Flood. You shall find battlekits built with our technology on your vessel when you depart. With those you will also find weapons that were used during our war with the Forerunners, an admirable addition to your arsenal," the Lord of Admirals explained.

The representation of the long-dead human stepped back and stood to attention as he finished, "I shall leave you now, for the time of action comes soon. Go, Inheritors, and be proud with the might of your legacy beside you."

With those final words, Forthencho disappeared as quietly and peacefully as he had come. The Spartans were not necessarily confident at Foethencho's claims, however, they could appreciate his short and quick method of conveying his message.

Blue team backtracked once again to the central chamber. As they entered, they all noticed the middle door open and ready to admit them to whatever being lay beyond. Progressing through this final passage, there was no change in the style or material used to construct the path, indicating that this was likely the oldest part of this 'Domain'.

The last chamber was easily half as big as the main anteroom, stretching from floor to ceiling with the strange substance weaving intricate tunnels and passages throughout the space. As they entered, the voice that had originally greeted them spoke once more, "Welcome to the Domain, Created. I am known as the Primordial, the last Precursor, and the first Gravemind."

At that title, the Chief made a quick motion and the Spartans formed a defense with practiced ease, scanning their motion sensors for the presence of any Flood. The Primordial scoffed before explaining, "Worry not, we have no presence here. Your appearance, however, heralds great change."

The Spartans did not relax at the reassurance, but continued listen as disembodied voice spoke, "For over ten million years I have waited. Your ancestors were ready to uphold the Mantle when they proved themselves against the Parasite, but the interference of the traitors prevented their ascension. You, however, have done what they could not. Humanity has proven itself against a superior foe, fought off extinction, and faced the threat of the Flood. This is why we chose humanity to take the Mantle of Responsibility: your race refuses to accept defeat. My gift to you, Created, is not only the true Mantle, untainted by the Forerunners, but a means by which to defend it."

There was a pause from the Primordial before it continued, "Both your ancestors and the Forerunners were presented with the challenge of the Flood. Humanity turned the nature of the Parasite against itself, eliminating the threat by pitting the infected hosts against their own. The Forerunners destroyed the Flood and every organic as well, failing the Mantle they followed. If you stand here, then you have triumphed against a Gravemind. As such, the Flood is now inert. You may do with their remnants what you will."

"Do you still maintain contact with the Flood as a Gravemind?" Cortana asked.

"The Flood maintain contact with the Domain, although with the Gravemind dead they have no direction," the Primordial replied.

Cortana crossed her arms as she inquired, "Instead of an organic Gravemind to command the Flood, could someone directly integrated with the Domain take command?"

The Primordial paused before responding, "You have interacted with a Gravemind, I can feel it. Your decisions are different, Creation. A leader unable to be corrupted to a Gravemind, without the logic plague to lead you wrong. The Flood are now yours to do with what you will. Stay true to your allies, Creation."

As the Primordial finished his discussion with Cortana, Blue team could feel its attention shift to the entire group. It finished, "Your time here is at an end. You and your species have much to do, however, know that the Domain is now open to you in its entirety. Now go, Created, and be wise with the guidance of the Precursors to lead you."

With those closing words echoing around the chamber, a small slipspace portal opened in front of the team with a muted roar. There was no movement to go through it as the Spartans processed the Primordial's declaration.

The Chief looked forward to Cortana as she turned to face the Spartans. Her face had a slightly guilty look on it but she had spoken confidently when talking with the Precursor being. John was not doubtful of Cortana's knowledge or judgement on this matter and as such only asked, "You alright?"

Cortana nodded before replying, "I had experience from my time with the Gravemind on High Charity. We talked, but it seemed more curious about the fight against the Covenant than anything else. It allowed me access to the Covenant data, which caused the glitch that you saw in my message." As Cortana explained, the party moved towards the slipspace portal, almost at its event horizon by the time she was finished.

They stopped just before the fringe as she continued, "I had the same kind of experience when I first entered the Domain. So much information at once that it overwhelmed anything I had seen before. It was within this information that I found the cure to rampancy and the incredible processing algorithms that allow my control of Forerunner artifacts. It's why I could mourn those innocents who died so quickly, for while it may have seemed short in real time, in the Domain an instant can represent an eternity. I can explain more in depth later, but for now I think we have delayed long enough."

The Chief and the rest of Blue team was satisfied with Cortana's answer. The Flood was a problem and still need to be eradicated as written out by the interspecies Keyes protocol, but for a time at least the Flood could be cautiously considered dealt with

With those thoughts in mind, the Spartans stepped through the slipspace portal, only to emerge a distinctly human bridge. As they began to look around at the space, another tear opened at the back of the space to admit Warden Eternal's large figure.

He spoke as Blue team continued to explore the area, "I found that the standard Forerunner Command structure was unsuited to the team-based operation your species seems to prefer. This seemed like one of the few command centers that would allow for that style of combat. Your combat skins and weapons can be found in the armory, as you call it."

The Spartans silently accepted these events, having gotten used to the weird happenings that 117 seeemed to attract. Satisfied with the arrangement, they silently but confidently walked to various consoles around the bridge, typing in inquires before moving to positions from which they could control the various functions of the ship. The bridge was laid out like many UNSC command centers, with a rectangular shape and two levels that curved outwards in the back. Unlike UNSC bridges, however, a solid barrier of metal cut off the passage at the apex on the curve and instead of a hallway there was a slipspace portal. This meant that anyone who was trying to take the vessel would be unable to locate the bridge, let alone overrun it. The bridge as a whole was almost forty meters across and nearly fifty deep on both levels. The top of the bridge was gently curved to create a massive area twelve meters high at its apex high above the main floor.

The second level of the bridge was raised above the first floor by about three meters, giving the Spartans or even Sangheili plenty of head space. The second floor only spanned five meters from the sides of the room and cut off about ten meters from the front, allowing for a much more robust or even separate command crew if necessary. The top level was at present designed to support ground operations, with a holotable and logistical operations consoles spaced around the area. The bottom space was set up to provide information to a captain or admiral, allowing such figures to focus on orbital combat while their ground counterparts conducted their own operations. Holoscreens and tactical consoles filled the space, ready to display cosmic objects at a moment's notice.

At the front was a large screen, easily twenty meters across and ten high that would show various information or other items along with views from video feeds around the hull. The piece was sunken down a meter into a depression in the floor of the bridge that extended a ways out from the screen. The area directly in front of the screen possessed a large hologram projector to show planetary bodies while a ways behind that was a huge command holotable for large-scale operations and logistics. The area had a similar design to the Infinity's bridge but was much larger and more open. At the top of the steps to the sunken area was the captain's chair with three stations arrayed in front of it, allowing whoever was in command a view of the main functions of the vessel.

Cortana sat in the captain's seat with Warden moving to stand behind her as Blue team headed directly towards the main command holotable knowing that Cortana alone would probably be sufficient to fly the vessel with her improved capabilities. Cortana spoke as she integrated with the ship's functions, "Bringing up schematics."

The table before Blue team lit up and a massive image appeared. The Chief recognized it instantly but before he could say anything, Cortana continued, "Before you ask, no, it's not the Didact's vessel. It is the same design, but some major components have been removed. The Composer as well as the space for the Didact's cryptum have been filled with other, more useful items." Cortana cut off, delving into the systems and functions that were available to her.

The Chief nodded, pleased that the ship was incapable of Composition. As he and the rest of Blue team continued to observe the vessel's hologram, a panel of statistics appeared beside the ship. According to the dimensions shown, the ship stretched almost 150 kilometers from the front face to the back and was 140 wide. From the top of the where the Didact's cryptum had entered to the bottom was almost 400 kilometers. Armaments for both offense and defense appeared on the ship, covering it with various tiny points.

Fred was the first to comment on the stats with an impressed tone, "So this is the inside of the ship that took on Home Fleet. I'd call them lucky that you were around, Chief." John looked over to Fred for a second before looking back to the diagram. He knew that Home Fleet wouldn't have had a chance to defeat the Didact had he not been there, but something about the weapons was slightly off. There were far too many compared to the Didact's vessel. Not only were there more but thousands of the defenses littering the hull were not of a type that he recognized. He located the trench that he had run to get to the Didact's sphere and noted the countless defenses embedded within the trough, creating a much thicker field of fire than what he had gone through.

"I see you have noticed the...additions," Cortana said, interrupting the Chief's examination. He listened as she continued, "The Forerunner weaponry consists of Z-8250 artillery and Z-8060 particle cannons. There is an extensive network of nearly 2,500 Z-8250 heavy Ion cannons along with 4,000 of the lighter variant for close-in anti-fighter defense. The cannons you avoided on our run in the Broadsword on the Mantle's Approach are examples of those. There's also around 250 Z-8060 particle cannons for ship-to-ship combat. Considering that only four of them presented a credible threat to the Infinity, we'll be well defended from any attack on that front."

Cortana highlighted the new weaponry on the holotable along with bringing up a hologram of the devices on the side. "The weapons that you noticed are standard Forerunner-issue point defense or anti-ship weapons. There's a network of 10,000 Hardlight point defense guns that creates a dense net of fire for any hostiles. To top off the maelstrom, the Composer has been replaced with what looked to be an Ancient Human glassing beam, at least judging by the sharp angles and dark metal. Warden, I assume you are responsible for the random UNSC gear on board," Cortana asked as she turned to the Promethean commander.

Warden looked down to her, responding, "Indeed. I found the schematics for them when the Didact's cryptum arrived here with you on-board. I instructed the monitor of Genesis to carry out the manufacturing and distribution of your weapons with the large population of constructors at its disposal. The glassing beam was installed by those same constructors while you were in the Domain. Now that you are here, this vessel and the Guardians are prepared for departure from Genesis." Cortana nodded and initiated the launch sequence for the ship. All beings watched as the horizon of Genesis appeared on the main screen, the Guardians showing shortly afterwards as the vessel cleared its hangar.

Linda spoke as the movement ceased and the full might of the ship hung in the air above the planet's surface. "What's the name of the ship?"

Warden responded, "This ship was built tens of thousands of years after the firing of the Halo rings and was finished only a few millennia past. The original title roughly translates to _Unfearing_."

Cortana considered the name for only a moment before saying, "The UNSC _Dauntless_ it is. So, now for the issues that I was told of." With those words, the holotable changed from the display of the _Dauntless_ to a very recognizable shape. A Halo ring was shown in detail, the surface glittering with water with various land masses scattered about.

"This is Installation 01, also known as Beta Halo, and is our first objective. The UNSC has secured four of the seven rings, however, we need all the Halo Indexes under control as soon as possible. We can deal with Flood installations while tthere as well."

"What about the UNSC? Fireteam Osiris isn't going to be the last attempt at bringing us back," Kelly pointed out.

"If all goes to plan then we should be back with a week. My guess is that the UNSC will leave well enough alone once Osiris returns. Considering the fact that your recent missions have all been self-assigned anyways, there's no real reason to mount a large-scale hunt this soon," Cortana responded.

She paused as information streamed across her hardlight body before finishing her statement, "Slipspace coordinates are locked in for travel to Beta Halo. All but one of the Guardians will accompany us in our jump, the last will come later after dropping off Osiris for the UNSC."

Blue team shared a glance at this before Fred voiced their thoughts, "Sounds like a mission. Where is the armory for our gear?" A Forerunner Sentinel appeared at the back of the room from the slipspace gate in answer to his question.

The Spartans followed as it went back through, until only the Master Chief was left to go. Before he could, however, Cortana spoke up, "Thank you, John. For trusting my message and coming."

Chief turned his head at her words, looking at the back of her chair in his peripheral. "Of course." With that simple yet meaningful statement, he made his way through the portal.

On the main screen, dozens of ruptures opened to admit the Guardians, a view which was quickly cut off as the _Dauntless_ itself entered the void. Unseen to anyone but Warden, Cortana relaxed at the Chief's words, a small smile making its way across her face.

* * *

 **November 2, 2558**

 **UNSC Infinity**

 **Above Installation 00**

It was in fairly good shape, considering the havoc wreaked from the firing of Installation 04B. There was still debris from the destruction of the ring, but the surface of the Ark itself was intact for the most part. The weather had stabilized from the time that the UNSC Rubicon had vanished four years ago, and then Operation: Far Storm after that. This was mostly due to the artificial sun above the construct being stabilized by the countless Forerunner sentinels present.

The breakthroughs that had been accomplished with the help of Infinity's science teams had revealed some very interesting things. While looking through Forerunner terminals on the surface of the Ark, the locations of the last three Halo rings had been uncovered. The Infinity was set to head back through the Ark portal and resupply at Earth before heading to Installation 06, Eta Halo. Among with the provisions to be brought aboard was the returning Fireteam Osiris.

After Osiris' failed attempt at apprehending Blue Team and their debriefing on Reach, they had been transferred to a UNSC vessel bound for Earth. Infinity had made the trip from Sanghelios to Earth earlier and gone through the Ark portal before Osiris had even arrived at Reach. Lasky would bet the lot that they were not going to be in a pleasant mood when they arrived on the Infinity. They had been notified of Catherine Halsey's tribunal by a UNSC board instead of the ONI sentence that was originally set.

The tribunal found Dr. Halsey cleared of wrongdoing due to extenuating circumstances, however, ONI was found guilty of serious wartime charges due to its authorization of the SPARTAN programs. All in all it was proving to be a major disruption in the intelligence organization and Lasky was glad to be well away from it when the monkeys inevitably started chucking their crap around.

These and other such random thoughts on their mission ran through Lasky's mind, a distraction while waiting for any information on their objective. Lasky was drawn from his thoughts by Roland as the AI appeared on the holotable, "Sir, we've been cleared by UNSC HIGHCOM for travel. "

"Understood, once everyone is aboard commence slipspace jump," Lasky ordered. Within minutes multiple pelicans were rising from the surface of the Ark, heading towards the multiple hangars of the Infinity. Most of the transports were returning marines and other specific personnel the Infinity had sent to clear the Ark of any hostile beings, however, nothing more threatening than some wolves had been encountered.

As the last of the small fleet reached the vessel Roland spoke, "All personnel aboard, sir. Opening portal and jumping." With the Forerunner slipspace portal opened and the UNSC Infinity moving to enter, Lasky brought up Halo Installation 06 on his holotable. Plans would need to be made in case of Flood or Promethean activity on the ring, along with preparation for the establishment of a scientific base above the ring. The next few days were going to be very long and tiring.

* * *

 **November 3, 2558**

 **UNSC Infinity**

 **Above Installation 06, Eta Halo**

Commander Palmer stood in front of several Spartan fireteams, waiting as the last few Spartan IVs took a seat before starting her briefing on their mission. A hologram of Eta Halo came up behind as she spoke, "This, ladies and gentlemen, is Installation 06, otherwise known as Eta Halo. Our mission is to land and assess the situation on the ground before moving to disable the Halo and eliminate any Flood on the surface. Your part in this will be to recover to Index of this Installation. With that, we can ensure that Eta can be successfully taken offline and let the science teams get to work."

The Halo was replaced with an image of the Index, the Forerunner object glowing lightly from the lines along its surface. "This is the Index. It will be found in the Library of the Installation and will be well guarded, so be prepared for a fight if the local monitor has gone rampant. You will be deployed by pelican as soon as the Library is found on the surface. If you locate the presence of a Flood outbreak, eliminate anything in your way and remember that the Index is your first priority. Good luck to you all," Palmer finished. The assembled Spartans saluted, Palmer returning the gesture before dismissing the soldiers.

As Palmer passed by the hangar bays on her way from the Spartan deck to the bridge, she glanced out to see Eta Halo hanging peacefully against the backdrop of the Milky Way. The Infinity's sub-vessels were either stationed above the surface of the ring or providing mass transport to the ring's surface. The view was cut off as Palmer entered one of the transit pods that facilitated travel along Infinity's length.

"Spartans are briefed and ready for deployment on your mark, sir," Palmer announced as she made her entrance to the bridge. Various officers moved around her as she took her place behind Lasky with her hands behind her back. Lasky didn't turn to acknowledge her presence, although she knew that he had heard her. Running a full-scale operation to take a Halo ring took all of Lasky's attention as he relayed orders to bridge officers or to the sub-vessels now seen on the Infinity's main screen.

Roland appeared on the holotable, speaking to Lasky as soon as the rear admiral finished his latest order, "Sir, sub-vessel 06 has just reported that they have a confirmed sighting on the Library. Still no sign of any Flood, although several more teams have reported empty Flood containment facilities. No sightings of the Monitor or any sentinels either. I'll continue scanning the ring for any Flood infestation."

With a glance to Roland's form, Lasky turned to Commander Palmer, "Looks like you're up. I'll have Roland direct your Spartans to the Library. As you heard, be careful down there. We know the Flood have escaped but no one has seen any forms and there are no signs of any fight to contain an outbreak."

Palmer nodded at him before leaving to oversee mission progress and personally handle the Fireteams assigned to Index retrieval. As she left, Roland's voice brought Lasky's attention back to the holotable, "I'm still getting strange readings from the surface sir. Deep scans reveal teleportation signatures identical to Prometheans, but it is possible that those signatures are from the Halo's own teleportation network."

Lasky frowned at Roland's statement, considering the situation on the ground. The Infinity's full complement was ready to deploy and several thousand soldiers were already present on the surface, slowly clearing the ring for hostiles. Prometheans were the last thing he needed to deal with while in the middle of securing a Halo.

"We know the location of the Index and that the Flood has escaped. If we do encounter Prometheans, let's hope that they are busy dealing with Flood. We can eliminate them after we retrieve the Index. With Prometheans present I don't want to have to fight a possible four-way war on a Halo ring," Lasky responded.

Once the Halo was secured and the Flood located, the Prometheans could be dealt with more thoroughly. A Sangheili vessel would also have to be called to glass contaminated sections of the ring, yet another thing to deal with.

* * *

 **November 3, 2558**

 **Fireteams Majestic, Crimson, Osiris**

 **Installation 06 Library**

The path to the Index had been clear so far, something that cautioned Spartan Locke into keeping his guard up around every corner. So far, him and the other eleven Spartans had advanced deep into the structure, guided by the layouts of other Halo Libraries. Their progress was unimpeded and seemingly ignored by Eta's Monitor, either that or something else was taking up the Monitor's attention.

Locke led the collective of Spartans due to his experience in Forerunner architecture. After his initial communication with Commander Palmer when they had entered the Library, the comms had been silent except for callouts and status updates. Palmer was viewing their mission in the Infinity but had yet to make any comments on the action or lack thereof. Locke wasn't one to ask for trouble, but he honestly wouldn't be upset to have something to shoot to alleviate the frustration his previous mission had placed upon him.

As the Spartans rounded the next corner, Locke glanced up to a map on his HUD. According to the other Library layouts, this gently curving hallway would be the last they would need to take to reach the Index. The Index would be on the other side of the wall which they were facing, suspended in the air and surrounded by an energy barrier to protect it from the Flood.

Osiris quickly advanced down the hall, checking corners but finding nothing as they had their entire journey. Finally arriving full circle at the end of the hallway and the entrance to the Index, Locke led the way in, scanning for any signs of the Flood or sentinels. Once the room was cleared, the Spartans walked towards the Index, stepping onto the elevator.

While the elevator descended, Locke strode forward to stand in front of the Index, waiting for the platform to hit the bottom of the shaft and deactivate the energy barrier around the Forerunner key. The platform eventually slowed, smoothly coming to land at the bottom of the shaft. The protective layers around the Index started the process of releasing the device, twisting and coalescing to finally form a solid, tiered form from which the Index would emerged.

As the process completed and a small click sounded, Locke turned on his comms to Infinity's Spartan command and spoke to Palmer, "Ma'am, we have a problem, a really small but extremely dangerous problem." As Locke and the rest of the Spartans stared in abject disbelief at the empty socket, he finished, "The Index isn't here."

* * *

 **November 3, 2558**

 **UNSC Infinity**

 **Installation 06**

"Well, what are we supposed to do in this situation?" Palmer asked. After the Index retrieval team had reported the missing Index, UNSC forces across the ring had gone into high alert. The team had made their way back through the Library alone and rendezvoused with a pelican that brought them back to the Infinity. As for what to do on the matter, however, that was what Palmer and Lasky were currently discussing.

Lasky responded to her comment, "We don't have the forces to go combing through the entire ring, Sarah. Your Spartans are good, but they can't be everywhere at once. We know the Flood have escaped, but we've seen no sign of them anywhere and the Installation's Monitor hasn't acknowledged our presence, meaning it's likely been incapacitated or is otherwise indisposed somewhere else."

"I know that, Tom, but sitting around doing nothing doesn't feel right. For all we know the Covenant Remnant could be in possession of the Index. It's just frustrating..." Palmer trailed off with a sigh as she stared at the screen in Lasky's quarters. Lasky put his hand on Palmer's shoulder, silently giving his support. Palmer had been under HIGHCOM's eye recently with the handling of the Janus key and Absolute Record affair and failing to retrieve a Halo Index was not going to help with that.

Lasky walked back around his desk and sat as he said, "Our orders for this situation are to wait for UNSC reinforcements, search for the Monitor, and keep the Installation Core secure to prevent activation. HIGHCOM also mentioned that they would contact the Swords and request vessels capable of glassing any infected sections of the ring."

Suddenly the Infinity's AI, Roland, appeared on the desk and saluted Lasky, "Sir, your presence is required on the bridge." Roland disappeared and Lasky glanced at Palmer before heading out the door, the Spartan following behind him.

As he entered the bridge, officers turned and saluted. Lasky quickly belted out, "As you were," before heading down to his holotable. Palmer took her standard position at parade rest behind him as leaned to rest his hands on the table, "Roland, sitrep."

Roland appeared on the table, his hands clasped behind his back as he spoke, "We have received a communication request from the surface sir. I have yet to answer it, but it is using valid UNSC communication codes and encryptions."

"Understood, put it up on the main screen," Lasky responded. The view at the front changed from Installation 06 to a spinning UNSC logo before quickly changing to the last person Lasky expected to see out here. Up on the main screen, a video feed of the Master Chief appeared.

"Captain...Rear Admiral Lasky, sir," he said, saluting as he did so. The Chief was clad in his standard MJOLNIR Mk. VI, the dark green plates covering his body. Lasky could somewhat make out a strange weapon on the Chief's back. It looked almost Forerunner, although it was of no design he had ever seen. Behind the Chief appeared to be a UNSC command bridge, although not a layout Lasky was familiar with.

Lasky returned the salute and responded, "Master Chief, good to see you, however unexpected it may be. What brings you out from under your rock?" While curious about why the Chief was here, Lasky wouldn't turn down help from the most decorated veteran of the entire UNSC Military.

"The Index," was the Chief's response.

Lasky flicked his eyes to the side of the screen before responding, "We're here for the same. We searched the Library but the Index was missing from its slot. Reinforcements are expected soon, but until then we're securing everything we can. The Flood is loose somewhere on the ring, although we have encountered no signs of it."

Instead of Sierra 117 responding, Lasky heard Cortana speak as the Chief stepped aside to show her form, "Sir, Blue team has secured the Index. The Flood specimens that were on the ring have been dealt with." Lasky couldn't help but show a slight amount of surprise at seeing Cortana. She appeared to be made of hardlight and had several plates of what looked to be Forerunner material arranged to shape her form.

"We sent Spartans to retrieve the Index several hours ago. Why is this the first time you've made contact?" Lasky asked after gathering his composure. His tone was more curious than annoyed, seeing as how anything that could neutralize a Spartan II would make short work of any forces he had at his command.

Cortana narrowed her eyes at this, "The Monitor of the Installation was quite adamant that I not possess the Index and transported us inside the ring's superstructure, an action which prevented us from sending or receiving any form of communications. It took me several hours to work around this, cut off from the Domain as I was."

Lasky accepted this answer knowing that both the Chief and Cortana had experienced far stranger events in the course of their service. His next step was to deal with any Flood on the ring and to this end he inquired, "You can confirm that the Flood is neutralized?"

"Yes, sir. The exact means is slightly...different to standard procedure and requires a full debriefing to properly understand. The Flood as a threat to any species, however, is now non-existent. I'll explain when we return to HIGHCOM, but there is some very interesting information that should prove helpful to understanding the history of our galaxy," Cortana told him with a slightly smug look on her face.

Lasky wouldn't begrudge her for the pride she would feel at accomplishing...whatever it was she had accomplished. Cortana had been lost to the UNSC's knowledge, and while they may have received hints that she wasn't gone, to see her so alive was amazing to Lasky. He had heavily disagreed with the decision to deny Chief the ability to recover Cortana.

Palmer had said it best when she stated that no one ordered around the Chief, he did what he wanted to do. Lasky pulled himself out of those thoughts and replied, "Then I look forward to hearing about it during your debriefing. Do you need transport to the Infinity?"

A smile crossed Cortana's face before she spoke, "Negative, sir. We have our own ride. Still needs to be put into the UNSC database, but otherwise we're ready to follow your lead. Rear Admiral Lasky, the UNSC _Dauntless_ and her escorts, at your command." With those words, the video feed cut out to once again show Installation 06. Across the ring from the UNSC Infinity, space seemed to ripple slightly, almost like a prowler exiting from cloak.

Before the anomaly could fully form, Lasky sent out a quick order to all Infinity personnel in system, "All vessels and personnel, stand down. The Index and Flood have been dealt with. Do _not_ fire on any vessel that comes into the system unless it is by my direct command." As he finished this, the ripple spread from a small point to a huge event that was noticeable without utilizing the magnification of the Infinity's sensors. After a few more seconds, the cloaking field started to collapse, revealing a vessel.

Lasky stared in disbelief as the massive form of the Didact's vessel emerged from the cloaking field. As he looked closer, however, he could see that the area where the Composer had been on the Mantle's Approach was replaced with what looked to be a massive focusing lense, similar to that of a glassing beam. The hull of the vessel was also adorned with the UNSC logo and the title _UNSC Dauntless_ on the slanted port and starboard plates.

Slipspace portals opened by the dozens around the vessel, each releasing one of the Guardians that had caused the Chief's disappearance. Lasky finally found his voice and asked, "Roland, what exactly is that?"

Roland took a second to respond, likely occupied with keeping the various assets of the Infinity from swarming to retreat to the relative safety of the flagship. "It's a similar ship to the Didact's, although there are significant differences. It does prove ONI's theory that there were different designs for the Didact's vessel, though. The escort fleet consists of fifty Guardians. How this came to be is probably what Cortana spoke of when we talked with her," the AI responded.

Lasky stared out at the behemoth along with the rest of the bridge crew, stunned once again at just what the Chief seemed able to do when left be. Considering the Spartan's antics on the first Halo ring, his combat against the Flood, and now coming home in a moon-sized ship, the Chief was well on his way to becoming a UNSC saying for weird events.

Orders came from the rear admiral as he collected his thoughts once again, "Roland, finish dispatching science teams and personnel to the ring's surface. After that's finished, plot a course directly to Reach and inform HIGHCOM to expect the Chief. Oh, and tell the defense fleet and the ODP grid to hold their fire." The officers around him continued on with their business, Roland disappearing from the table as he carried out Lasky's orders.

Unheard to anyone but Palmer, however, Lasky uttered one last line under his breath, "Not that it'd make a damn dent in those shields without the Chief on the inside."

* * *

 **16th day of 18th Month, 2433 GS (~January 6, 2562)**

 **THV Covenant**

 **Exploring Andromeda Galaxy**

Equvia Acharian, the pilot of the Covenant, was once again bemoaning the lack of relays in this galaxy. As Garrus continued to ignore the complaints that had long ago grown old, he thought of their current mission. While the THV Covenant had been first to travel through the super-relay three years prior, they had hardly been the last.

After dropping comm-buoys and sending an all-clear signal to the Council fleets waiting on the other side, the Covenant and her crew had started searching for sign of other relays.

At least that had been their mission, now the Council merely wanted to find _something_ of note in this new galaxy. While they had found multiple garden worlds and constructed colonies on them, no species had yet been discovered to bring into the fold of the Citadel. Compared to their original galaxy, their progress in exploring this galaxy was meager at best.

Without the relays to facilitate long distance travel, Council vessels had to make trips into unknown space using only their Eezo cores. Nine vessels had already been lost to collisions with planets or other undesirable space debris, causing even more pressure to be placed for something to be found to prove that exploring this galaxy was worth the lives and resources. This galaxy hadn't even shown any signs of Mass Effect, adding onto the difficulties of continuing exploration.

"Sir, static discharge complete. We are ready to jump to FTL once again."

Acharian's announcement drew the attention of Garrus. He quickly responded, "Commence jump to the next nearest system. Take your time with any calculations needed." The Covenant was a fair ways into this galaxy, having spent the last few years mapping out a route as deep into the galaxy as currently possible. Quite soon there would be too many stars or other such obstructions to continue, which was disappointing considering they were still tens of thousands of light-years from the core.

The giant spiral arms of this galaxy proved to be the toughest obstacle in maneuvering as the arms contained hundreds of millions of stars that proved to be hell on calculations. Figuring out the correct route to equalize the gravitational distortions, even with VI assistance, was tiresome and difficult even for skilled navigators. It was like running into a thick wall with winding holes, possible to get through but very hard when there wasn't a map.

"Course plotted and locked in, commencing FTL jump," Acharian said. The stars on the front screen rippled before pulling back into streaks of light as the Covenant went FTL. Garrus looked up at the main screen, watching the strange view that faster-than-light travel provided. He looked forward to the day when he and his crew discovered something among this vast expanse that made their voyage worth their while.

With the pace that exploration was taking, however, he may well die before that day came. This was a fact he accepted, for while his job was dangerous, that was the life that Turian's led.

Within several hours their trip was nearly at an end, their next destination nearing quickly. When they dropped out of FTL, a bright point against the vast expanse that was space would allow them to pinpoint the systems local star and then plot it in the growing navigational database. As Garrus looked out the main screen and continued to view the lack of such a point, he grew confused.

The screen switched from several different angles taken from cameras based around the hull, but none of them showed a star that would be anywhere close to them. Finally he asked his pilot, "Where does the route you entered put us from our last position?"

"We should be on the edge or slightly inside a star system, sir. The next closest star should be right in front of us," Acharian responded. The main screen changed to show the galaxy they were in, quickly expanding to show a single quadrant of the massive collective. A red line showed the Covenant's route, highlighting how little progress they were actually making towards the galactic core. They had managed to make it through the first arm of the galaxy in the last three years.

Travelling at twelve light-years per day across a galaxy that was 100,000 light-years across while trying to map as many star systems as possible was going to take millenia. Discovering missing stars was not going to help expedite that process.

She continued, "Scans show signs of a very recent stellar collapse, although there is significantly less heat and radiation than would normally remain from such an event. What radiation is present would indicate that the event occurred millennia past."

Garrus sat back and thought about the implications of such an event. After a minute, he spoke, "So, this stellar collapse could not be seen from the system we were in, a system which is only a few light-years from this one. That means the event must have happened within the last few years, but then where is the debris? We would have detected the remnants of the system long before entering if it was such a recent occurrence."

No one spoke, although most of the bridge crew was looking at the expanse on the screen, likely just as puzzled as he was. Getting up from his seat, he walked past the Mordin Solus, leader of the Salarian science team on his vessel. "Come, we must look elsewhere for answers to this. Pilot has the bridge," he ordered as he left.

He heard the return call as the doors closed behind the scientist and himself as he continued, "If you can pull up the scans we took in the last system, we can look at this area and see what may have been present. That should work, yes?"

"Better than nothing. Will look for gravitational anomalies and dark spots, tells us what was here," Mordin responded in his usual clipped speech. As they reached the combat information center, currently being used for astronomical analysis, the various salarians and several turians turned to salute upon seeing the captain enter.

Garrus returned the salute as the scientist behind him went to the galactic map in the center of the room. In short time, there lay the image of the system they had been in, the missing star highlighted. With some quick movements, the view zoomed in to show the star.

"Right there," Garrus spotted almost instantly. Up on the display the star shone brightly but in front of it was a large dot that signified a planet. What was so strange was how large the planet seemed in comparison to the star it was presumably orbiting.

Sure, it was an absolutely tiny point compared to the mass of a star, but to able to see a planet against such a body with the naked eye meant that the planet either had to be a gas giant of enormous size or a planet extremely close in to the star. This also told the assembled beings the type of star and that the star was not dying, for if it was dying then a planet would never be able to get close enough to the surface without being completely vaporized.

"Event not natural. Star is a K-type main sequence, still in stable condition during our scan. Something caused collapse and then subsequent explosion of condescended stellar material. Similar to supernova but without increased luminosity or prior expansion," Mordin explained. He was fiddling around with his Omni-tool as he said this, likely cross-checking the event with any other known phenomena.

Garrus considered this for a short time before speaking, "Continue to observe and see what you can find. We'll stay in system for now, but if there's something out here that can cause an unnatural accelerated stellar collapse I do not want to be anywhere close to it." He turned and left the CIC, making his way back to the bridge. As he entered, he sounded off, "Captain has the bridge."

"Captain has the bridge," the pilot immediately called in response.

Garrus sat as Acharian vacated the captain's chair. Orders were already forming as he took the seat, "Lieutenant Acharian, keep us ready to bolt at any point." Turning his head to the sensors station, Garrus continued, "Lieutenant Trenition, keep scanning as far as possible, we don't need details, just find if there is anything out there and alert me immediately upon even possible contact."

The officers went to work, the pilot prepping the engines and FTL core for instant use while Veius Trenition began a low-intensity wide-sweep scan as fast as the sensors would allow. "Ensign Vicrian, start up the comms and see if you can get anything," Garrus finished.

The ensign, Sieus Vicrian, quirked his mandible slightly at the order but nodded and went to get the communications suite online. With no comm-buoy network and no other vessels within light-years, the Covenant kept its comms offline. It didn't take long for the system to boot up, and keeping it off slowed the buildup of static in the Mass Effect core.

Vicrian to start flipping through channels and modes. The default setting for the station, the standard tightbeam laser signals that the Citadel used for interstellar communication across the comm-buoy network, automatically scanned for a signal. While unlikely due to the nature of such communications, the ensign let it run just to make sure.

After no communications were found, unsurprisingly, he switched the mode to standard radio frequencies, commonly used for close-in fleet communications or planetary networks. After flipping through a few frequencies, the array picked up a very strong signal originating from the outer edge of the system they were in. As the alien speech started playing from his console, Vicrian detected the presence of the captain behind him.

" _Mayday, mayday, mayday. This is UNSC FFG 201 Forward Unto Dawn, requesting immediate evac, survivors aboard. Prioritization code Victor 05-3-Sierra 0117._ "

"Good job. Can you tell what it is? Any translation packets or something of that sort," Garrus asked.

Vicrian typed on his console for a few seconds, the message repeating quietly in the background. He reported, "Negative sir, the only other thing besides the message is some encrypted data. I could try to access it, but there doesn't appear to be a hacking interface. I have no idea what type of encryption it is, as it isn't anything I recognize even remotely. As for the nature of the message, it's originating from outside our system but close enough to be heard. It sounds like a distress signal merely by the fact that it is the only signal around and it repeats at regular intervals."

Garrus paused, carefully thinking over his next step before replying, "Try responding to it. See if we get anything else."

Vicrian sent a response, a mere ping to try and garner a reaction from the device. In the minutes it took for the answer to get to whatever was transmitting and then a status update sent back to them, they waited silently. Suddenly the assumed distress signal cut out. A response arrived from the probe, showing that it was 3 minutes and 26 seconds by the speed of light to the object.

One last message played from the beacon, " _Unknown communication detected. Cole protocol enacted._ " With that, all signals cut out and there was once again silence.

Vicrian spoke as Garrus was collecting his thoughts, "I'm getting some readings of very strange energies, sir. Likely some form of data burst, although I'm not completely sure. I think we activated some form of failsafe on the device."

Garrus finally spoke, "Store all transmissions from the object. Helm, get us the hell out of here, if the owners of this beacon are the same species that collapsed this star, I don't want to meet them when we're on our own and unable to get any help." With that, the THV Covenant turned from the system, engaging its FTL drive, leaving to inform the Citadel Council of their discovery.

* * *

 **Some notes on the Halo Wars 2 Story Vidoc. Their narrative director, this guy who's supposed to know the Halo universe, claims that the Ark is the, "largest and most powerful of the Forerunner creations." That's simply not true. It's neither the largest, which is the Forerunner Dyson Sphere Trevelyan, nor the most powerful as there were far more destructive items in the Forerunner-Human or Forerunner-Flood war. The Greater Ark was as, if not more, 'powerful' in raw destructive terms than the existing Lesser Ark in Halo 3. It could be the most 'powerful' if we're considering destructive power due to its ability to activate all Halo rings, but it's also not mobile. This was shown in canon when the Greater Ark was destroyed by the Flood-controlled Precursor Star Bridges.**

 **The comment on hacking is my own little poke at Mass Effect 1 and 2's hacking methods. One is leap frog, which is just weird, the other is matching code segments, which, while closer to what is actually necessary in that it at least has code, is still a far cry from making a lick of sense. As a computer science major, it irritates me, but I do recognize that it's not like your average gamer could successfully hack into what would conceivably be secured, closed circuit systems.**

 **As I was editing this, I had an interesting theory that perhaps Warden Eternal is the composed for of the Lord of Admirals. We know that Forthencho was composed after he last the war with the Didact, and someone as brilliant with military strategy as Forthencho was would be perfect for commanding forces that obeyed every order. Also, the Lord of Admirals, Precursor, Domain, and humanity being the rightful inheritors of the Mantle of Responsibility? Yeah, that's Halo canon. So...deal with it.**

 **Chief wandering through the Domain and Precursor architecture is not canon, that was me tying up loose ends in Halo lore. As you can see, we're getting closer to contact between the two factions.**

 **For Mass Effect: Andromeda, from what I've heard it's kind of myeh. Some bad writing (My face is tired), some abhorrent facial animations at times, but good combat and large planets to explore. Holding off on buying for now, I'm unwilling to give EA their full asking price.**

 **I understand some of you might not like this chapter because 'It's not fair'. My only reassurance is that the** _ **Dauntless**_ **is a very unilateral application of force, or in other words a lot of power in a very small area. Such a ship would be limited to a defensive role, freeing up entire fleets that can be redirected to protect smaller colonies.**

 **Also, it isn't fair. If two civilizations develop differently there will be one that is above another. Look at the Covenant and the UNSC, that wasn't fair. In Halo 5, UNSC vs. Forerunner Guardians isn't fair. It won't be fair, and ultimately there's not a damn thing that could change that.**

 **I will tell you though, the UNSC will not steamroll the ME races in their own galaxy. They might in the Milky Way, but currently humanity is still recovering and consolidating power. They could conquer the ME races, but at the end of the day they do not have the manpower necessary to occupy an entire galaxy.**

 _-evevee_


	3. Alliances are Made

Disclaimer: I own no franchise mentioned in this work. Halo belongs to 343, Mass Effect to Bioware.

 **Because people are still confused and it may help me keep dates right anyways, I am just going to put the Halo CE dates beside ME equivalents. If there are parentheses - (-) around the date, then it's for YOUR information. If the dates are separated by a slash -/- then both users of those calendar systems know the other's equivalent. The date that comes first is the date format of the species whose point of view the section is in.**

 **This will make sense in a few paragraphs, but to be clear, the Yonhet DO exist in Halo canon. I'm not just making them up as an OC species, nor will they play any large part in anything, nor are they super-special or whatever. Just a random Covenant Fringe species.**

 **Now for Review Responses! If you don't care, skip to the breakpoint below. For responses, later reviews will be listed first, because I'm lazy and can't be bothered to reverse-order them.**

 **MoonBurner: Wait no more, until you get to the end of this chapter. Then more waiting. Huzzah... Anyways, as of halfway through this chapter, the Council has been exploring Andromeda (to them, Milky Way to us) for about 7 years and 5 months or so. Plus or minus some days and such.**

 **Guest #1: Thanks, my mistake. I haven't bothered correcting it in the Intro since it's an author's note and not a story point, but you are correct in that it's 3 million. That's still small, but it is much larger than 300,000 (duh). Much appreciated. :)**

 **He Who See's: I'm not sure if you were trying to insult me with the word 'chud', but as far as I saw, Chud comes from a 1984 horror film and is an acronym for 'Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dweller'. I'm going to be honest, that's more amusing than anything else. As for who's furious or unstable, I'm not sure who you're talking about since your subjects kind of blend.**

 **Guest #2: Criticizing the president of my country doesn't make me a communist, it makes me a thinking being with the right to free speech. I do like how you automatically assume that I'm talking about Trump, however. World's a little bigger than the US, buddy. I could easily be talking about Kim Jung Un, who had his uncle executed with an AA gun.**

 **Worldwander2.0: HW2 and the such will be touched on this chapter and next chapter. I will say, Atriox is fun to write. I really hope Atriox becomes the main antagonist of Halo 6, however unlikely that may be to pass. Just something besides what they created in H5.**

 **Abraxas01: Followed up it has been and will continue to be, muse be willing. :)**

 **Hunter80195: Glad to have you on board.**

 **Fandango12345: I appreciate that you care, and feel free to PM other such considerations or concerns if you have them. Indeed we will see, thank you!**

 **Lord NV: Yeah, fixed the time thing hopefully. I've given up trying to have readers separate the three main time systems of the Covenant, ME, and Humans. All dates that are not on a CE calendar have been provided for reading convenience. For the neuro-constructions, their survival confuses me as well, but it's canon from Halo 5 and it allows me to push the explanation onto 343i instead of dealing with it myself. Eh, you can ignore the bridge appearance, my apologies that it was confusing. Don't know why I bothered it's not a large part of the story, for now.**

 **Airmailmrcool: Thank you, and will do!**

 **DLM4: Done. Yeah, I don't want everything from an audience PoV. I like to go a bit more in-depth for culture and other such trivialities.**

 **Masterix: Thank you!**

 **Hiei-Uchiha: Of course.**

 **Sithdoom: ME controls an entire galaxy, but it's not the Milky Way. They don't control the Orion Arm because they aren't in the Orion Arm. I do agree with you, though, that even Canon ME seems far too small to control a galaxy.**

 **LordLoverDuck: Eyup.**

 **ThePhenakism: I think you meant chapters, in which case here's one now!**

 **Guest #3: They aren't in the Milky Way, they're in a galaxy that orbits the Milky Way. A much, much smaller galaxy. Which they still only control a small part of, but ME races like to think that they control the whole thing. Y'know, Citadel Council rules galaxy, etc etc.**

 **Berserker of Klyntar: Glad you're enjoying it. I think that the Council could take on the UNSc in space, but there's no way that Council forces could take over planets groundside. In a Mako vs. a Scorpion, I'll give you one guess as to what wins. Hint, there's no way the peashooter on a Mako could damage a main battle tank fast enough. Orbital bombardment could win, but that's kind of final.**

 **Husebad: If you remember the end of Halo 3, Cortana said that she'd drop a beacon but it might takes years for the FuD to be found. That was that beacon.**

 **Revenges197: Uhh, yes, I can stop the Flood like that. I don't want to deal with them. Quite simply, Flood vs. Anything wins. Reapers, Citadel, Forerunner, Precursors, they would or did fall to the Flood. I can assure you that the Flood will not be used in random fights or even large-scale conflicts. Galactic conflicts...maybe. ;) How else would I remove them? The moment the Flood get off planet, Ding, end of story. Everything is screwed. I haven't received any hate for it, and I honestly just don't want to deal with the implications of a Flood invasion. Sorry to disappoint.**

 **Fdsadsaw: Here you go, sorry that it wasn't 'soon', per se.**

 **SpecterXCove: Cool.**

 **Linx007: Glad that you're enjoying it.**

 **Zerochance117: No problem, thank you, and wait no more.**

 **Jarediscool: Glad you like it.**

 **Now that that's all done, onwards, to more shenanigans!**

* * *

 **First Age of Realization, Fourth Cycle/January 12th, 2565**

 **Negotiations to form the Wardens of the Mantle**

 **Ealen IV**

"Forty cycles have we fought, bled, and died to reach this day. Now, we come together to finally discard the past that has haunted us. Today, the Covenant is dead, the False Prophets gone, and those who would revive their lies defeated. We are present to forge an alliance, a bond between our races, not made of ignorance, but of knowledge. Not to wage war, but to bring peace. Our wars are at an end, each of our species united. Now, we must pick up the pieces and continue, not alone, but together. The threat of the Flood has been eliminated, but they are not the only adversary we shall face."

"I propose to all assembled not a covenant made of ignorant worship, but a union forged in the quest to learn and protect the knowledge of those who came before. As a pact between equals, governed by elected officials in a representative role, I officially present the offer to each of you to join the Wardens of the Mantle."

The Arbiter sat after finishing his speech. Around the table were arrayed the heads of state for each species, while in front of each lay a holopad that contained the details of the proposed alliance. All present had received the documents beforehand, the Arbiter's words were merely to officially present the offer.

"The Swords of Sanghelios accepts these terms," Rtas 'Vadum announced. Thel was technically a neutral party for introducing and inviting the other species and as such Rtas took his place representing the Swords.

The next to speak was the Unggoy Chancellor Fupklaz, "The Unggoy Republic stands with the Swords of Sanghelios and accepts your invitation to join the Wardens."

Mahola Yote Rupni, the Lekgolo representative, stood and spoke, "There was honor in our union once. We would have it be so once more. The Mgalekgolo accept."

Those three were the known supporters of the agreement as each had united under the Swords of Sanghelios to defeat the Covenant Remnant. Now the unknown parties would speak their part, determining whether this proposed alliance could heal the rifts that the Prophets had caused. The Arbiter, along with the other leaders of the species united with the Swords of Sanghelios, had written the alliance to hopefully alleviate the tensions between the Jiralhanae, Sangheili, and others involved in the Great Schism.

Instead of a Council made up of only two species with one above the other in that body, any and all species involved with the Wardens would be granted a seat on each of two ruling bodies. The High Senate would be made up of the leaders of each species while the Council of Guardians would be made up of military leaders from each species. All joint offensive military actions would have to be approved by both bodies while defensive actions would be solely commanded by the Council of Guardians.

The design philosophy for the form of government was drawn from humanity to prevent the deception and manipulation that the Prophets had used in the Great War. The individual species would be left to their own devices for the most part, with the High Senate being called to mediate large-scale interspecies conflicts or possibly intraspecies conflicts if tensions decreased and the measure was requested. It wasn't perfect, but it was far better than the absolute rule of the Prophets in the Covenant.

"The Kig-Yar kingdoms decline your invitation. We have no wish to be limited by your laws," a Kig-Yar queen declared. That one had shown up at all was impressive, although their refusal was unsurprising. The attempted central government of the Kig-Yar had quickly collapsed back into their standard pirating ways. The UNSC and Swords of Sanghelios had ceased all diplomatic contact with them after a Kig-Yar ship had rammed a Forerunner Guardian in an attempted hijacking. It had gotten them nothing but a destroyed ship and an irritated Spartan team aboard the vessel, but they had been invited to this meeting for one last attempt at talks.

Lydus, the new Chieftain of the Jiralhanae, rose and faced the Arbiter, "When we first came here to end the conflict of a generation, I did not hold much respect for Sangheili. Your fight against those who would destroy us has earned my respect. The Jiralhanae accept your offer. We may not be very good at talking, but when the time comes to fight, you shall have the Jiralhanae packs at your side." The Arbiter nodded in his direction, knowing that Lydus had fought hard since their first meeting in 2558 to obtain the position of Chieftain to bring unity to his race. Lydus lifted his chin to the Arbiter before taking his seat once again.

The Yonhet leader of the Fringe systems stood and spoke as the Jiralhanae sat, "The Allied Systems of the Fringe graciously accept your offer to join the Wardens." All former Covenant Fringe species had come together in the wake of the collapse of the religious juggernaut. To show the wide-reaching spread of the Warden's, their unified government was offered to join, even though the Fringe systems held almost no military or strategic value.

The Fringe species had been quickly expanding after the Great Schism, and though they had made progress, even the Kig-Yar could easily crush them without Sangheili protection. Their military was virtually nonexistent due to the presence of the Covenant, but strides were being made to expand so they could at least provide meager self-defense.

A series of chirps and whistles precluded a synthesized voice translating for the Huragok hovering beside the table, "What role do the Reclaimers play in this pact? None are present for this meeting and yet they hold the Mantle that you wish to protect."

The Arbiter quickly explained, "We shall approach the humans when we are united here. They shall be offered the same terms as all other species. The involvement of the Reclaimers is indeed crucial to the success of the Wardens, however, approaching them while we are divided would turn their acceptance or refusal into a political storm that would take years to solve. Presenting a united body for them to communicate with will allow us, and them, time to adjust without the added stress of a changing political climate to interrupt the early stages."

"So long as the Reclaimers are willing to accept this alliance and all within are equals, then the Huragok shall join the Wardens of the Mantle, " the Huragok responded. Thel nodded at this, knowing that the Huragok had begun to work closely with humanity while they took charge of the recovery and investigation into Forerunner ruins. Many Huragok had been integrated onto human ships as the humans began to use more advanced technology, allowing the Huragok to repair problematic systems that the Reclaimers had yet to fully understand.

The Arbiter looked to the last species that had not spoken. The Yanme'e as a race were virtually extinct after the end of the Blooding Years. Having sided with the few remaining Prophets during the Great Schism and then the Covenant Remnant during the ensuing years, the species was pushed back to their home system.

"Accept... not we... independence is us. The Great Journey shall proceed in... with... Prophet's will!" Her speech was broken up, likely due to her fervid composure and subsequent use of pheromones, but it was understandable what she was trying to convey.

The Arbiter saw several of the other leaders arrayed around the table glance around hesitantly. He quickly spoke to assuage their awkward manner, "The Great Journey was a lie created by the False Prophets. You would do well to recognize it as so and realize the futility of any attempts you make to finish the firing of the Array. The Reclaimers are beyond your species now. Attacking them will finish what your alliance with the Loyalists started. Have no doubt, you and your species will be annihilated should you try to even come close to Halo. The humans did well to disable the Array, but even then they will not allow anything near the rings."

"The might of the Jiralhanae packs stands to enforce the Arbiter's words, bugs. Only the Reclaimers have the authority to deal with the rings. Considering their purpose to contain the Flood is now gone, the decision to render the rings inert to activation is supported by the Jiralhanae," Lydus said. After speaking, he made eye contact with the Arbiter before nodding slightly. The Arbiter nodded silently back, knowing that Lydus' words were an unspoken offer to begin their collaboration with cooperation instead of political conflict.

The Yanme'e queen hissed at the threat, receiving an amused grunt from Lydus in return. The Arbiter stood to speak as this occurred, "So it shall be. On this Cycle, in the Fourth Solar of the First Age of Realization, those who have agreed to join the Wardens of the Mantle are welcomed into its ranks. May the Mantle guide you all."

Within seconds the Kig-Yar and Yanme'e queens turned and headed away, probably looking to get out of system as soon as possible. The rest of the assembled species began to mingle as the various generals or other leading figures approached from the edges where they had been waiting. The Arbiter could pick out snippets of several conversations between individuals, most focusing on possible defense pacts or trade agreements. It was a far cry from the chaos and hatred that had followed the end of the Great War.

Rtas walked up, drawing the Arbiter's attention away from the others, "If this is any indicator, this alliance should forge a bond stronger that the Covenant ever could hope for. When do you plan to approach the humans about their participation?"

The Arbiter considered the question for a short time. They would have to wait until the Wardens were an integrated force, but wait too long and they would risk humanity taking their new conglomerate as a reformed Covenant. "Perhaps a few short months. At most a full Solar Cycle. What of the reports from our fleets?" the Arbiter asked.

Rtas gave him a glance but knew that the Arbiter had been listening to the conversations around them just as well as he. He responded, "Without the Loyalists destroying our vessels, our buildup has accelerated immensely. We are quickly approaching 1000 combat-ready vessels, although we will have to slow down as we are beginning to run out of those who will crew the new vessels. We have plenty of veterans amongst the populace, but it seems that the human measures have indeed worked."

The measures which Rtas spoke of were suggested to the Swords of Sanghelios by human industrialists. Without the scientific knowledge of the San 'Shyuum and the Huragok taking positions on human vessels, the Sangheili were barely keeping their fleets from disrepair. This quickly changed in the First Cycle of the current Age, or in human years early 2560, when the UNSC and Swords cooperated to the point that human scientists were allowed to assist the Sangheili.

Within months Sangheili engineers were being trained to both maintain and construct new vessels. Without the Storm to contest their colonies or ONI interference, the Swords quickly began their assault on the remaining Remnants of the Covenant, eventually defeating them and leading to the current meeting.

Along with the training of engineers for their forces, the UNSC also assisted the Swords with more domesticated forms of living. Many Sangheili had come into the possession of large tracts of land and material as the appalling casualties from both the Great War and the Blooding Years became apparent. Those who had made it home against all odds had quickly turned to farming or other such pursuits, ashamed of their actions under the Prophet's lies.

The days of being a purely warrior race were over as many Sangheili understood that their reliance upon the leadership and resources of another race without developing their own was a major weakness.

The Arbiter drew himself from his reminiscing once more. He mentally cursed, annoyed that these political proceedings were causing his attention to drift so easily. He would have to perhaps challenge some of his entourage to a duel on their jump back to Sanghelios. As he watched the crowd, he saw Lydus finish dialogue with the Unggoy. The Jiralhanae caught his gaze and began to make his way through the crowd.

As Lydus arrived before the Arbiter, he spoke, "The others are nervous about the Reclaimers becoming irked that we did not invite them. These fears are not unfounded. I wish to accompany you when you offer the Reclaimers their spot in the Wardens."

Rtas glanced at the Arbiter as the Sangheili leader drew back at the question. The Arbiter narrowed his eyes but conceded, "I am not entirely sure what your objective is, however, I do not see any reason to deny you the right to take part in the proceedings. You are welcome to partake in the pleasantries that are liable to ensue when the humans learn of this alliance."

"You do not think they will accept the invitation to join?" Rtas asked, bringing the attention of both the Arbiter and Lydus to rest on him.

Lydus responded, "Will they accept? Yes. Will we live to see them accept? That is the question that should be asked." Both the Arbiter and Rtas snorted at Lydus' words.

The Arbiter somewhat agreed with Lydus in that humans did seem to take prolonged periods of time to decide upon a course of action. What all three of them knew very well, however, was that once humans decided to do something there was no known force that could singlehandedly stop them. "Their decision should not take long. They wish to avoid another conflict just as much as ourselves," the Arbiter assured him.

Lydus nodded at that before replying, "Indeed, Arbiter. For now, I must go to oversee the packs. Contact me when you are ready to discourse with the humans. May the Mantle guide you both."

"May the Mantle you guide us all," the Arbiter responded in kind. As he and Rtas watched the Jiralhanae Chieftain leave, the Arbiter slowly relaxed his posture from the stiff diplomatic standard. It was hard to believe that peace was finally returning to his species after so long. It would be decidedly nice to not have need to review various casualty reports every Cycle.

Rtas started to walk towards the exit, calling to the Arbiter as he went, "Let us go, Arbiter. There is much to be done now that we have succeeded here." The Arbiter glanced around, noticing that all other assembled parties had left, leaving the Sangheili as the only ones left. As his footsteps guided him to the entrance, Thel's mind fell back into the thoughts of his responsibilities as leader of the Swords of Sanghelios. For now, it would be his duty, not as a warrior but as an Arbiter, to continue to lead his people, and so that is what he would do.

* * *

 **December 16th, 2565**

 **ODP Sydney**

 **Earth**

The view out the window presented a truly beautiful sight. Fleet Admiral Lord Terrence Hood gazed through the glass pane, observing Earth and all the objects in orbit above it. Various vessels drifted serenely against the background of the surface, supplemented by other artificial constructions strewn about. Seventh Fleet was stationed in various battlegroups distributed amongst the ODP grid above Earth.

The grid had been rebuilt after the Great War after it had shown its usefulness before being expanded after the Didact's ship attacked. The grid at present contained 750 platforms, all upgraded with the developments from the war, including energy shields for anti-boarding and defense measures. With the enormous strength of the ground-based power feeding the stations, the barriers had enormous damage resistance on par with Covenant capital ships.

This massive buildup had been precluded by the Chief's debriefing after his time AWOL. With the location of Genesis and the knowledge the Domain held, the UNSC was able to utilize Forerunner sentinels for resource production and directly utilize the few remaining Forerunner shipyards. Steps were immediately taken to secure the planet and the information gathered was analyzed and indexed, although it was highly classified so as to prevent a massive technological shift from destroying the newfound peace humanity had achieved within and abroad.

Along with the ODP's was the massive conglomeration of ships that was Home Fleet. Made up of Seventh, Second, and Sixteenth fleets, the massive force numbered almost 950 ships. While Second and Sixteenth were 250 ships each, Seventh fleet was by far the largest human fleet with an amazing 450 vessels.

The Seventh fleet and mainstay force of Home Fleet was still led by the UNSC _Infinity_ , although the flagship was nowhere close to the largest vessel in the fleet anymore. That honor belonged to the UNSC _Dauntless_ , the ship that now led Battlegroup Sierra.

Sierra was formed from the _Dauntless_ and its escort of Forerunner Guardians. All fleet operations of the battlegroup were solely Spartan missions and fell under the command of Cortana. Her rank of Vice Admiral, while made possible by AI rights bills passed after the Great War, was in large part due to her control over the Prometheans and the Domain. Her posting aboard the _Dauntless_ allowed the enormous might of the vessel to be piloted without using tens of thousands of UNSC personnel to crew and maintain the ship. Battlegroup Sierra was technically part of Home Fleet but spent most of its time parked in orbit of Reach.

When the Spartan branch was separated completely from ONI command, many changes occurred. ONI itself was severely culled, a result of their illicit dealings with Kilo Five as well as the uncondoned sentencing and execution orders for Halsey. The intelligence network that had been built over the course of the Covenant war was largely left in place, but significant oversight was built in as well to prevent the egregious violations that had occurred under Parangosky and Osman.

As for the Spartan branch, its command structure was reorganized and altered to fit the needs for the tasks they would undertake. The rank of Master Chief of the Phalanx was created specifically to suite the Chief as the supreme commander of all Spartan deployments. Equal to the rank of Admiral in the UNSC Navy, he commanded all ground operations conducted from the _Dauntless_ while Cortana commanded the ship combat functions of Sierra. As with all military branches, Fleet Admiral Hood held ultimate command, although for the Spartan branch he usually stuck to managing the interactions between the UEG and UNSC while providing synchronization between other branches.

Behind the defenses of Earth, Hood could make out the massive shipyards that were producing vessels to continue to build up the human fleets. Various random fleets were positioned between the stations and yards, protected by the sphere of ODP's and Home Fleet. Most were dropping by to receive vessels to supplement or replace others. The same was true on Mars, Luna, and all other celestial bodies that humanity inhabited in the Sol system. A portion of the area under the grid was taken up by a joint Sangheili-Jiralhanae party that had entered diplomatic talks with the UEG about joining some pact known as the Wardens of the Mantle.

Hood didn't know much about it due to the sensitive nature of the proceedings, but he honestly wasn't too concerned with whatever it was. His attention was not focused on the alien vessels amongst several thousand UNSC vessels but instead upon a massive unoccupied gap in the net. Usually the commercial and military traffic that surrounded humanity's homeworld day and night would quickly fill the gap, however, Hood had ordered a no-fly zone around the area.

The Chief would be dropping out of slipspace soon and while the slipspace drive on the _Dauntless_ may be incredibly accurate, having a ship as large as the _Dauntless_ come hurtling out of slipspace into a busy airspace was asking for trouble. Many vessels took a wider than strictly necessary berth around the area, mostly because trying to see the vessel from close just presented a large wall instead of a view of its form. The UNSC hadn't even tried to hide the existence of the _Dauntless_ from the populace, although its posting at Reach kept it from public view since the planet was a military fortress world.

This was more to get its bulk out of the way of civilians rather than any attempt to try and hide the ship. Having a vessel the size of a small moon constantly making entrances and exits would be noticed, so instead the _Dauntless_ was publicly commissioned and entered service shortly after the Chief's and Cortana's return before being sent on its way. Even then, the traffic at Reach meant that Chief and Cortana often took one the escorting Guardians rather than the flagship.

As he finished his thoughts, Hood saw the ragged white edges of a slipspace portal burst into existence at the edge of the clearing. Several more rifts appeared as escort Guardians quickly emerged and formed with the portals closing behind them. Within seconds of the arrival of the Guardians a much, much larger tear formed, quickly expanding to dwarf any and everything around it. From within the spinning vortex the massive form of the UNSC _Dauntless_ began to form. The ship slowly appeared from the horizon of the portal before moving to enter a defensive position with Home Fleet.

Hood turned from the view as the door to his office opened. An ODST walked in, glancing at the view of the _Dauntless_ in the window before stopping and saluting Hood. "Fleet Admiral, sir! Your presence is requested on Earth. The UEG Senate has reached a decision concerning the alliance offer from the Sangheili and Jiralhanae. They wish for you to be in attendance for the proceedings.".

"Understood. Dismissed," Hood promptly responded. The ODST finished his salute and exited the room. The Fleet Admiral made his way to his desk, typing in a few commands to send some messages he had written up earlier. With that done, he exited his office and made his way across the massive station to the orbital elevator that lead down to the city of Sydney below.

As he stepped into the small personnel lift, Hood mentally prepared himself for the inevitable inquiries on UNSC naval power estimates and other such military matters. The bureaucratic mess that was likely to come his way after the official ceremonies concluded was going to be the bane of his day for a while after this was done.

* * *

 **December 16th, 2565**

 **Sydney, Australia**

 **UEG Senate Building**

The massive space of the Senate building was filled with representatives from across the UEG. Arranged with an array of podiums and desks at the front of the room, chairs radiated out from the center to form a semicircle. There were two levels to the chamber, both of which contained 500 seats. While not all seats were needed at present time, all seats that were assigned to a world had a delegate in them for the current discussions.

Nearly 800 delegates made the gigantic chamber feel somewhat full, but there were still many obvious seats for future colonies. Admiral Lasky was seated on the second level of the chamber, to the far side in an area reserved for military figures.

The high number of representatives was a result of the reforms and amendments caused by the Insurrection and New Colonial Alliance. All colonies were given representation and many colonies possessed a force drawn from the recreated Colonial Defense Force. With the upheaval of the Covenant war finally starting to visibly fade, many of the UEG's decisions were made with cooperation. Much of the gridlock that had paralyzed the pre-war Senate had dissipated with the horrors of the war. Of course, there was the usual status quo of bickering over details, but the speed at which they could come to a decision was impressive.

The Arbiter and Chieftain Lydus faced the main body of the Senate, standing to the left of the Senate leaders. The Senate body itself was debating the proposal for joining this Wardens of the Mantle. Currently, the opinion appeared to be overwhelmingly positive in joining the Sangheili and their new allies. With the defeat of the Remnants as well as the growing might of the UNSC, solidifying relations and alliances with the other known powers of the Orion arm was popular with the public.

Acceptance of the Mantle of Responsibility had resulted in many humans reconciling with the Sangheili as the horrors of their own war progressed. When the UNSC's alliance in the final days of the Great War was released, public sentiment grew from reconciliation to increasingly positive due to the assistance of the Elites and the deception that they had suffered. As had happened after their own World Wars, relations between the previously hostile factions grew less heated as the Remnant gave both sides an enemy to focus on.

As the Senate finished their arguments, the president of the Senate stood and called, "We have all heard the positions on this matter. I now say we vote to decide." He reached to the desk in front of him, typing a few commands before declaring, "The vote for the UEG to join the proposed Wardens of the Mantle is now in session. This session will close in one hour."

Lasky watched senators from every planet in the Unified Earth Government start communications on their desk displays. Interactions were kept to text form, both for the sake of secrecy and because having 800 people attempt to have individual conversations at the same time would never work.

The Admiral turned his attention from the proceedings and put his hand to his ear, starting a communication. A quick mental command to his neural interface brought the frequency to the same as the Sydney ODP sitting in orbit above. Lasky spoke quietly as the connection was made, "Inform Lord Hood that his presence will be necessary for the announcement of the Senate's decision."

"Yes, sir," Lasky heard in response. Before he could close the connection, the officer on the other end spoke, "Sir, you should also know that Battlegroup Sierra has just arrived back in orbit. Would you like me to contact them as well?"

"Do so. Lasky, out," he replied before closing the connection. While he was waiting, Lasky rose from his place and made his way out of the chamber. He would need to greet Lord Hood and the other HIGHCOM officers and then proceed with them to the military section of the chamber to hear the Senate's decision. The admiralty had begun attending Senate sessions at the behest of ONI Section II so as to show cooperation between the UNSC and UEG leaders.

This political show was needed by the UNSC to help alleviate some tensions with outer colonies after the New Colonial Alliance and the UEG successfully negotiated for the Colonial Rights Bill. The military powers the UNSC had had during the Covenant War were quickly discarded by Hood when the war ended, but with the enormous military buildup in the post-bellum era the outer colonies were afraid of retribution. The presence of HIGHCOM officers in the Senate and the cooperation between the two bodies had proven an excellent method to decrease these tensions.

Lasky eventually arrived at the entrance to the UEG Senate building. He took a position at ease to the side of the large entrance hall, waiting for Lord Hood. For now, they would deal with the situation that would result from the UEG's decision, whichever way it went.

* * *

 **December 16th, 2565**

 **Sydney, Australia**

 **UEG Senate chamber**

Lasky stood with the other HIGHCOM officers present in the system above the Senate floor. They were watching as the last few senators ended communications with the leaders of their home planets and then casting their vote as the session neared its end. Lord Hood had arrived only a few minutes prior along with several other officers.

As Lasky watched the proceedings, the president of the Senate spoke to the chamber, "This voting session is now at an end. The votes will be tallied and verified. The results will be announced momentarily." With those words, the president sat and began the process of verifying all votes. While the process used digital voting, all votes were authenticated by each Senator's terminal for security purposes. Lasky's attention was drawn from the floor as the door to the UNSC section opened. Both the Master Chief and Cortana emerged, stepping out onto the balcony.

Cortana was still in the hardlight form she had created at Genesis seven years prior. She was wearing a standard UNSC naval officer uniform with her Vice Admiral pin and her various awards attached to the front. It was strange to Lasky to see Cortana in uniform as she only wore it for large-scale public events such as this. Her usual attire was her hardlight body or a ship's computer, dependent on the vessel she was on.

The Master Chief's armor was easily mistaken for the standard MJOLNIR Mk. VI Gen 2 that Spartan IV's wore. While significantly different in function and capability, the outer shell kept the projection of strength and was recognized as a symbol of hope on any battlefield.

Interior component modifications had come from the Ancient Human armor given to Blue team by Forthencho. Several standard-issue tools for Spartans had been integrated into the armor after UNSC personnel had had a chance to examine it. Lasky did not know the full specifications of the MJOLNIR Mk. C by memory, but he knew that it was extremely powerful.

It was originally proposed for all Spartan units to receive Mk. C armor, however, issues were quickly encountered in that plan. Several member of HIGHCOM had pointed out the disciplinary problems with the IV's, which might prove to be an issue if unstable individuals were given access to such weaponry. Another issue was the cost of production and replacement. With the number of Spartan's lost in Requiem, analysts had determined that the effectiveness of the IV's was not short due to their armor but their overconfidence with having received equipment that had previously been only for legends.

With those arguments, the Spartan IV's were to continue using UNSC produced armor systems, which were both cheaper and satisfactory in combat conditions. The sets of Mk. C that were produced were either equipped and customized by the remaining II's or stored on the _Dauntless._

As for the UNSC _Dauntless_ , when it had returned to Earth alongside the _Infinity_ , ONI personnel had wanted to crawl all over the vessel. UNSC HIGHCOM had prevented that from occurring and instead the ship was commissioned and investigated by UNSC scientists. A series of events occurred that eventually lead to ONI attempting to forcibly take control of the vessel from Cortana and the Chief. This had not ended well, with the ONI force getting slaughtered by Warden for boarding against the will of the captain. This event, along with the previous violations of orders, led to the ONI purges.

Back in the chamber, the two legends made their way through the crowd, Cortana splitting off to stand by Lasky while Chief, as Commander in Chief of the Spartan branch, made his way to Hood. Many gazes were drawn to the Spartan as he came to a stop beside the Fleet Admiral. It was rare to see the Spartan out in such a public space, although this occasion did call for his presence.

Observations and stray thoughts aside, Lasky turned his attention to Cortana. "Good of you to show up," he joked with friendly humor.

Cortana smiled back and responded, "You're lucky. If Jolly Green wasn't commander of the Spartans, you would never get him anywhere close to the Senate." Lasky snorted at that, knowing that it was very true, not just of the Chief, but of all the II's.

They both ceased their short exchange as the Senate President stood and spoke, "All votes are now official. I am proud to declare that on December 16th, 2565, the UEG Senate ratifies and accepts all terms and conditions for entry into the organization denominated as the Wardens of the Mantle."

There was a pause as the Senate President sat and the leader of the legislative branch of the government spoke, "As elected President of the UEG and all of its affiliated organizations and functions, I, Peter Lebeau, sign into order the agreement for the UEG to join the Wardens of the Mantle on December 16th, 2565."

Polite applause came from all over the chamber as this announcement came. Several rumors had been circulating that there would be vetoes or something of that nature by the tiny group of hardline anti-peace advocates who wanted to use the UNSC's growing power to annihilate all aliens. UNSC HIGHCOM had ordered ONI to quietly reduce such pandering to fear and the Senators that were elected on such stances were being weeded out by propaganda from Section II operatives promoting the joint UNSC-Swords operations.

The admiralty made their way down to the main floor of the Senate chamber, the procession following the chain of command. Lord Hood descended first, followed by Chief and then the other UNSC officers. Hood and the Chief were the only two branch commanders present in the Sol system currently, the others located at the fortress world of Reach.

Hood made his way down an aisle and stepped out to the space below the Senate President's bench. Peter Lebeau met the Fleet Admiral and held out his hand as he spoke, "Admiral Hood. Good to see you present at such a momentous occasion."

"Indeed. An official collaboration between our united species would be quite beneficial to all parties," Hood responded. Lebeau nodded in response and moved off to talk to other officers and politicians. The Chief held his position behind Hood, Cortana in turn standing by his side. There were few who approached them, only the Senate President and some other high-ranking politicians engaging in pleasantries.

Soon, however, the tall form of the Arbiter stood before them, Lydus standing by his side. The Sangheili leader spoke, "Greetings, Fleetmaster of Fleetmasters, Demon, and Construct. I am glad that your Senate could come to an agreement so quickly. It will be an honor to fight by your side once again."

"I should hope that I may do so as well, Demon. Your prowess is legendary. I should like to see it for myself," Lydus added. The Chief nodded at the Jiralhanae in silent response.

Hood smirked and said, "I'm sure we can arrange something. Perhaps some joint operations or even wargames if you are agreeable." The Arbiter nodded to Hood to indicate his assent while Lydus laughed deeply. This would be the beginning of a strong alliance if this was the cooperation that could be shown during times of duress. The combined might of their species would lead them into a new era of peace, preventing the unknowns of the galaxy from ever causing another Great War.

* * *

 **10th Day of 6th Month, 2437 (February 24, 2566)**

 **29th Citadel Exploratory Fleet, First task force**

 **Foreign Galaxy**

"Question is less what is it, more who created it," Mordin told the captain. They and the rest of the science team aboard the _Covenant_ were examining a mysterious piece of metal that they had discovered. Floating only a few systems away from the Missing Star, as it was now called, the piece of metal was a dark shade of purple and was made of a material that matched nothing in any Council database.

After their discovery of the beacon, the THV _Covenant_ had quickly returned to Council forces in the galaxy and shared their findings. The Citadel had responded by granting Garrus command of a full exploratory fleet to investigate the area further. Several other task forces in the foreign galaxy had been alerted to the encounter, although those groups were far from Garrus' position.

The fleet returned to the area and the search continued with a greater concentration on the signal frequency that had been used by the alien species. That had been two years prior and from that time several items that indicated intelligent life had been found. No translation of the transmission heard before had been attempted as there was only the one instance to pull language from and that contained few words.

Garrus' fleet of 32 frigates, four cruisers, and the _Covenant_ itself had returned to the Missing Star and established an operations base on an asteroid in a nearby system. Garrus had split his fleet into four separate task forces made of 8 frigates and a cruiser each. The task forces went in several different directions to increase the search area while providing a reasonable amount of firepower to escape in case of hostilities.

Their forays into the surrounding systems had yielded a debris field from which the chunk of material that they were now studying had come. While nothing but scraps remained in the area, finding materials that did not naturally occur in space did lend itself to solidifying the existence of intelligent life nearby. There was no discernible shape and nothing but the strange material in the field. Whoever built the vessel couldn't be a great distance away for there would be a noticeable Eezo residue that would remain if an FTL core was destroyed.

Garrus responded to Mordin as he finished reviewing their current situation, "Who was here is a question we've been asking since our first discovery in this area. I'll contact the other forces of our discovery." Garrus turned and made his way out of the CIC, allowing the experts to continue with their jobs.

As he made his way through the Covenant, Garrus heard Equvia Acharian speak over the ship's intercom, "Sir, we are almost done dumping our static charge in the atmosphere. We are also receiving a communication from one of the task forces out on long-range patrol. Where would you like to receive it?"

"Direct it to my quarters. Send out orders to the force to prepare for some long jumps, I think we may need to get to their position quickly," Garrus commanded. The other task force leaders had explicit standing orders from Garrus to immediately contact him and wait for reinforcements if they found something. While it was possible that this was not the issue that the force commander was contacting him about, he doubted that it would be anything else. The commanders of each of the task forces were competent leaders that were trained to Turian standards.

Garrus reached his cabin and moved to his desk. The holographic display came up as the captain sat, flashing the new message icon in his face. Garrus quickly glanced at the timestamp of the communication, noticing that it was sent nearly six hours ago. He closed the notification and played the message, "Captain Garrus Vakarian, this is Commander Verasia Eudolin of the THV _Karnack_ and the Third task force of the 29th Citadel Exploratory Fleet. I am sending this communique to inform you of a development in the sector we were assigned. We have picked up a transmission using the same frequency that you informed us to keep an eye on. The attached file is a recording of the transmission we received. I have ordered my task force to track and pursue the signal towards its origin. A trail of beacons will be left from our current coordinates to wherever our updated position is. We will not engage or attempt any contact with foreign forces and instead shall await your arrival. Commander Eudolin, out."

As the message from the Third force commander ended, the captain opened the audio clip that had been attached. His attention was caught at the first sounds, " _Mayday, mayday, mayday. This_ _is UNSC CFV 88 Spirit of Fire, requesting immediate evac, survivors aboard. Prioritization code 01730-58392-JC_." Garrus leaned back as the audio clip finished for the third time. The captain had replayed the audio recording several times, but there was no mistaking.

Aside from some minor differences after the first few words and the ending, the message was exactly the same as the other. It was a different voice, but this was another distress call. The turian paused in his thinking for a second as something occurred to him. Why were there so many distress calls from the same species but absolutely no sign of planets or other celestial habitation?

He promptly rose and exited the cabin, making his way to the bridge. Orders were flying as he entered, "Lieutenant Acharian, proceed at our best speed to the coordinates I've sent to you. Send out a message to the Second task force to rendezvous with us there while Fourth returns back to base." Within seconds, the entirety of the First task force was turning away from the planet they had been discharging their static energy to and towards the coordinates of the Third force.

Acharian spoke from her position at the helm, "Engaging FTL drive now. Estimated arrival in fifteen hours. Second will receive the communication in eight hours and, from their last known coordinates, will arrive approximately two hours before us."

Garrus gave a nod as he responded, "As you were." The captain took a seat in his command chair as the stars and other celestial objects on the viewscreen rippled and distorted with the _Covenant_ 's jump to FTL. He tapped a few commands into his omni-tool and opened a channel to his task force, "All primary crew are to be relieved for at least eight hours rest before we arrive at our destination. I want all ships operating with their best shifts for whatever we encounter. Captain Garrus, out."

* * *

 **11th Day of 6th Month, 2437 (February 26, 2566)**

 **29th Citadel Exploratory Fleet, First Battlegroup**

 **Tracing Alien Signal**

This signal was proving to be a much larger pain to trace than originally anticipated. After meeting the Second force, the two task forces had continued along the beacons left by Third until they had caught up. The First Battlegroup, created when Garrus combined the First, Second, and Third task forces into a battle-ready force, had been slowly tracing the signal across space since.

They had made seven different jumps following the repeating transmission, tracing the signal through two different systems. Whatever was broadcasting the call was nearby, the trouble in tracing it came from the dissolution and degradation of the transmission.

While it did become stronger the closer they came, pinpointing a single ship in the vast distances between solar systems was tricky business, especially with a degraded signal that was using inferior radio waves instead of the Eezo-accelerated communications the Citadel species used. Admittedly, it still took some time, but it was better than what these unknown aliens were using.

Garrus had his battlegroup prepare for potential hostilities when they encountered whatever was broadcasting the signal. It was almost assuredly a vessel that they were chasing down, as a beacon wouldn't be able to make some of the course corrections that this unknown ship had. Slingshotting across gravity wells or other such high precision maneuvers were beyond any beacons Garrus had ever seen before.

He looked away from his screen as Acharian spoke up, "All vessels are reporting with their primary combat shift active sir. Logistics reports that the signal has successfully been traced to the outer edge of a nearby system. If we follow its path towards the galactic core, we will approach the second arm of the galactic spiral in several hundred light-years, approximately two months of FTL travel."

"Understood, lieutenant. Initiate FTL jump." Garrus then opened a fleet-wide communication, "All ships and personnel, prepare for combat. Do not fire unless fired upon or by my command. Captain Garrus, out."

The viewscreen flashed as the group made its jump to FTL. The jump was a relatively short one, a mere three hours to the location of the system the alien vessel was at. Garrus spent the duration of the flight in the CIC, now clear of the science team sent with the mission.

Instead, various first contact scenarios were being discussed by the lead officers of the battlegroup. Most of the considered situations involved combat procedures and formations in anticipation of a hostile contact, however, some officers also considered the possibility of a peaceful contact.

Almost all given scenarios were models that had been created by the Citadel species a while before to present a common contact protocol. While they could send a message to the Citadel Council to request a diplomat for contact, it would take months for a ship to traverse the vast distance from the edge of the galaxy to their position.

As the briefing session came to a close, Garrus spoke, "We'll assess the situation and decide the best course of action when we arrive. Do not fire on any ship in the area unless it is by my direct order. This species might not possess Mass Effect or FTL travel, but starting a war is the last thing I want to do while we're so far out from help. Dismissed."

The Turian officers saluted, each holoscreen above the main table disappearing as they did so. Garrus' fleet contained no Asari or Salarian vessels, something that personally irked the captain a slight bit. The lack of vessels from either of the other Council species was due to their much lower number of vessels. The Turians were the only ones able to field enough vessels to confidently divert a respectable force this far into a foreign galaxy.

Garrus turned and left the CIC, walking back through the tactical stations to take his chair on the bridge. As he entered, Acharian called out, "Captain has the bridge. Ten seconds until we drop from FTL sir."

Instead of responding, the captain merely nodded to the pilot of the _Covenant_. Up on the main screen, the streaking lights of FTL travel flashed by before quickly resolving to the immense starscape that lay further into the galactic core. Scans had already been initiated by the crew and as he watched, Garrus could see their local star labelled on the view, a mere point of light that was barely brighter to the naked eye than those around it.

Also present were several planets in the system, all barren, rocky, and completely unfit for habitation. Suddenly, the view changed as the screen focused on a section of the void and enhanced it to show a small dot making its way across the expanse of space.

"I want as much information on that vessel as possible, lieutenant," Garrus ordered. The captain rose from his chair and move to stand directly behind Acharian's seat. He tried to examine the vessel in more depth but couldn't before statistics on the alien vessel appeared.

Acharian glanced over her shoulder as the captain walked up before turning back to her console as various information from the tactical console appeared. She diverted the information as she spoke, "Sir, the vessel measures an impressive 2.5 kilometers long and has an unknown mass. Material composition is titanium outer hull with various other elements. No Mass Effect fields or any other sign of Eezo. No internal scans, their hull appears too thick for our sensors to pierce. The vessel is travelling towards the center of this system and is lined up for a slingshot maneuver around a local gas giant."

Garrus looked down at Acharian in surprise as she told him about the predicted trajectory of the ship. He responded, "A craft that large doing a slingshot maneuver around a gas giant? The number of precise alterations to achieve that would be impressive, especially for a vessel with such a large mass. Their engine output must be enormous."

The pilot nodded at this, knowing quite well how hard such a path would be to plot and correct. "With their current velocity and where we first picked up the signal, tactical estimates that the ship has been adrift out here for about thirty years. That number may be more or less depending on how accurate our original position was along with their acceleration," Acharian told him.

The captain grunted at this and replied, "Impressive length of time to drift through an area this sparse. Bring the battlegroup in closer and keep shields at full, I don't want any surprises if there's anything alive on that ship. Bring it back up on main, keep the zoom at full. Stats off to the side." He saw the screen shift, the ship once more appearing and the windows moving to the sides. The vessel peacefully drifted farther away, appearing motionless against the backdrop of stars. The group soon accelerated, following the Covenant towards the massive ship.

It took them a small bit to get moving, but they began to match the unknown ship's speed as their mass effect fields were turned to full and their acceleration was increased. It was nearly an hour for all ships in the group to match the velocity of the unknown alien vessel and another to close the gap enough to get a full screen view of the hull.

As Garrus examined the ship in detail, he immediately noted the extensive battle damage to the port side of the ship. It looked almost as if the ship had collided or rammed another, likely in combat judging from the damaged wrecks of giant defense guns. He also noticed that the hull of the ship was blackened and charred, as if from immense heat. The pattern of melted areas would suggest that these were not random occurrences in this ship's long flight but instead the result of battle, probably the same battle that resulted in damage to the port of the ship.

"Distance?" Garrus asked.

Acharian glanced at her panel and reported, "463,000 kilometers and closing, sir. We've reached the top speed for the cruiser Eezo drives. We will reach the ship in approximately eight minutes."

"Understood. Begin to hail on the same channel as the other signals." the captain replied.

Acharian took little time to switch the _Covenant_ 's communication array to the correct radio frequency. Almost as soon as she began hailing there was a response. "Not sure if there's anyone on the other end but they are receiving, sir. Audio only, delay of 1.7 seconds. No translation package or any other data," the pilot told Garrus.

He nodded and stood behind Acharian's seat in parade rest out of habit formed from years of Turian discipline. "Send a first contact package with a simple Codex, " Garrus ordered.

The pilot typed on her console for a few seconds before she reported, "Package sent, still no response or reaction. Might be a dead ship sir, that damage to the side might've created a vacuum or allowed radiation to leak in. Many species unfamiliar with space can make such mistakes and seeing as they don't even possess FTL capabilities..."

Garrus considered that option for a short time before replying, "Anyone who possesses the capability to design and construct a ship this large would know the simple dangers of space. Let's try a more direct method." The captain straightened his back and took a very formal pose for first contact.

"Hello. This is the THV _Covenant_ , flagship of the 29th Citadel Exploratory Fleet. We have picked up your transmission frequency on two different occasions. Are you in need of assistance?" Garrus asked. They waited for several minutes before he repeated, "This is the Turian Hierarchy Vessel _Covenant_ to the unknown alien ship. Do you read?"

When they were sure no response was forthcoming, the captain relaxed his posture and spoke to Acharian, "Move us into dropship range and match the speed of the alien vessel. Tell all ships to standby, hostilities are to be avoided. I'll be taking a boarding team over, see if that elicits a response."

"Yes, sir. Beginning to slow down, we'll match the other ship in 30 minutes, allow you some time to brief the team," Acharian told the captain. Slowing down was a lot easier than increasing speed for Citadel ships. Instead of utilizing omni-directional thrust, the mass effect fields on ships with Eezo drives were decreased in strength, thereby increasing the mass of the ship and slowing it down very quickly.

This feature was also what limited the speed of Citadel ships, because a mass effect field could only keep decreasing the mass of an object to a certain point. Mass effect field collapses were an assured death for any ship due to the extreme stress caused by near instant deceleration. Mass effect may break the laws of matter and physics for normal materials, but even it could not violate the law of conservation of energy.

Garrus turned from the pilot's seat as he felt the subtle tug of inertia from the grav-plates underneath the deck adjusting to the change in speed as Acharian decreased the mass effect fields. He eventually reached the briefing room of the Covenant and saw that the Turian soldiers of his boarding team were already in armor and ready to go.

The captain strode to the holotable at the front where the alien ship was displayed and got straight to the point, "Our mission is to board the alien vessel we have found. We will attempt to locate and operate an airlock or hangar for clean entry, but if necessary, we will cut our way in. Terrain is unknown, presume a vacuum and foreign contaminants. Contacts are unknown and will not respond to hails." Garrus turned off the hologram and took his weapons from the officer who had been holding them while he briefed the team.

He continued speaking as he holstered his rifle and pistol, "Rules of Engagement are attempted contact with any living being aboard, anything with a possible weapon is to be treated as hostile. Do not fire to kill unless if fired upon or by my order. We have no translation packages or any form of contact from them besides their distress call. At this time the ship appears to be dead but our sensors cannot penetrate whatever they use for a hull. Judging from the thickness on the exposed structure of the port side, their hull is almost 60 centimeters of what seems to be some form of titanium. There are too many unknowns for us to draw up any reliable plan so I want everyone to stay flexible and alert. This has been a clean op so far, let's keep it that way and make first contact. Honor to your lives," Garrus shouted, saluting his team.

"Glory unto death," the assembled Turians shouted in response, returning the gesture. Garrus and the rest of the assembled Turians donned their helmets, checking the seals and performing other equipment checks as well.

The group made its way out of the briefing room and in short order arrived at the small docking bay of the Covenant. The bay could only hold two small vehicles, which in this case were two shuttles. Garrus entered the shuttle first, making his way to the cockpit as the rest of his boarding team loaded and secured themselves for the flight.

The pilot of the shuttle looked back at the captain before returning to prepping the shuttle for launch. Garrus watched until his omni-tool pinged and Acharian's voice came through, "We're making the final approach to the alien ship, sir. Still no reaction or any notable improvement in the scans. You're clear to exit the bay, it's a short ten kilometers to the vessel."

"Thank you, lieutenant. Keep on alert and be prepared for a quick pickup if we need to exfil. Have a team ready to engage hostiles if necessary. Garrus, out," he replied. He quickly sat in the copilot seat and strapped in as the bay depressurized and the bay doors opened.

There was a slight tug as the shuttle accelerated out of the opening and towards the alien ship. As they drew closer to the massive vessel, Garrus began to examine the outside for an open airlock or hangar, any sort of opening that would allow him and his team to infiltrate and examine the vessel.

The pilot suddenly tilted the craft and pointed it to a small opening under the damage on the port side. It looked to be a hangar bay that got stuck open from whatever combat this ship had endured. Garrus looked at the opening for a short bit, judging how easy it would be to get in or out if they needed to do so quickly. As the craft closed on the location, he tapped the pilot's shoulder and gave his approval, "It'll work. Keep on station for a quick pickup if necessary."

The pilot responded with a quick, "Yes, sir," as Garrus disappeared through the door to the troop compartment.

"Last equipment check, door opens in 30," Garrus announced to his team as the door to the cockpit sealed. The assembled soldiers finished up their checks, all of them making sure their seals were secure so as to prevent a quick end when the compartment depressurized. As the last of the his team gave him a quick salute to show their readiness, Garrus reached up and engaged his own helmet, sealing and pressurizing the internal systems for vacuum operation. He then reached up and hit the door controls, causing the shuttle's atmosphere to be compressed into tanks stored overhead. After that finished, the back door of the shuttle opened, slowly revealing the side of the massive ship as the shuttle pulled up to the door.

When they reached the crack under the hangar door, Garrus ran a quick visual inspection. The gap was about a meter wide, plenty to get through with some time but possibly troubling if they were caught in a firefight.

Several of his team moved through to enter the ship first, the captain himself too important to take point in an extremely risky entry. When the area was declared clear, Garrus made his way out along with the rest of his team. The shuttle pulled away from the door a short ways, close enough to return quickly but far enough so as to prevent unwanted boarding to occur.

Garrus looked around the massive space, the lights from his team showing them that the area contained several large items that looked to be dropships and several ground vehicles. He waved his hand towards a door on the side of the hangar as he spoke, "Alright, let's move. Keep it tight and clean and we'll all be home quickly. We've got a ship to explore."

* * *

 **May be a day late, apologies. Busy with final papers, programs, and other such nonsense that's required to pass classes.**

 _-evevee_


	4. Expectations Broken

Disclaimer: I own no franchise mentioned in this work. Halo belongs to 343, Mass Effect to Bioware.

 **For the Covenant, Solar cycle = year, Cycle = day, Unit = hours. That part is canon. I've made up a general equivalent to minutes as 'Portions'. That is NOT canon. Just wanted to be clear.**

 **I have finished my latest college semester and passed, so huzzah for that. I will have a lot more time to write, but it is likely that I will keep with my current update schedule for a chapter every month. Apologies for the slow updates, I am not a very prolific writer.**

 **Now for Review Responses! If you don't care, skip to the breakpoint below. For responses, later reviews will be listed first, because I'm lazy and can't be bothered to reverse-order them.**

 **Linx007: Here's another one for you! No problem, I read reviews but I've not going to beg for them. If there's an issue, as long as it gets to me through PM or review, I'm good. :) Oh, yeah, Council reaction is...heh, well, I have about six different scenarios to choose from that I have written up. Many ideas. Much fun. Very nice. Thank you, I hoped it was fairly creative. Yeah, ONI had issues operating in the best interest of the UNSC, which is their job. First Contact here will probably not be what you expect, as a warning. It IS coming, I promise! Yeah, the whole superior species thing is an aspect I plan to explore extensively. Thank you!**

 **Gaelas: So am I, but alas.**

 **Belnonm: Your name irritates me for some reason. I think it's because I misread it as Belonm. Anyways, thank you very much!**

 **Atisk101: Don't know who that is, but if it's a self-serving traitorous bitch then yes.**

 **Moosejuice5: Your name amuses me, makes me think of the Monty Python Holy Grail starting credits. Glad you like it, hope you continue to enjoy it! Here you are. :)**

 **InfinityGamer104: Thank you. Yeah, I like cleaning ONI, traitors to their oaths. Agreed, Palmer is inexperienced and IV's are overconfident in my opinion. Will do, sorry it wasn;t exactly soon, but not a fast writer. Glad to hear I'm doing well on editing.**

 **Kitsune of darkfire: Agreed, completely.**

 **Lord NV: I thought of it as a form of the UN. A lot of this story will probably pull from WWII and the Cold War that followed, although it may not be as 'Cold'. Don't agree with you on Kig-Yar, as if they joined a government like the Wardens, they could conduct piracy. The only thing that prevented them from piracy before was the Covenant. Thanks, tried to get the feelings in there, hoped it worked alright. Bad at dialogue, I tend to be too logical. Agreed on the Citadel idiocy on discovering new civilizations, but ultimately I will admit to thinking that the Council is made of idiots, so may need to go there. We'll see. Yes, I am disregarding HW2 as nonsense. I've thought about it more and found too many issues to fit it into my story. Good game, but I can't figure out the logic of Atriox attacking humans when Cortana is threatening the galaxy. Warden's will each use their own calendar, as they know the conversion between each time system. Presenting standardized dates based off of Warden's founding would confuse readers. Also, what is wrong with being centrist? I consider myself fairly moderate, albeit perhaps with a slightly human superiority tilt due to our adaptability.**

 **Guest #1: Well, yeah, no duh it's human wank right now, I've only touched on the Halo side so far. We'll get to Mass Effect wank next chapter, calm them jimmies sir.**

 **CHMIEL: WHY DO YOU TYPE IN ALL CAPS?! Glad to hear you are enjoying it, and here's your update, on schedule for once. Don't plan on ending this story, although I may sometimes slow down due to my instinctual aversion to effort. Truly my greatest flaw.**

 **Brucec22180: Yeah, I'm kind of unsure about the name of Garrus' ship, to be honest. Eh, we'll see how it works out. May end up being something interesting or I may just plant my head in the sand. No idea how far the** _ **Spirit**_ **is from Earth, I haven't bothered figuring it out.**

 **DarkRising32: Could you explain in a PM how the second chapter was sloppy? I would love to improve. Also, Chapter 2 by FF's numbering or by mine? Chapter 2 by mine is Chapter 3 by FF.**

 **Guest #2: What the hell are you on about? I haven't touched anything about the Human-Covenant war in my story. That entire conflict is left in its canonical state. Also, Kilo-Five...blegh. No offense, but if that's your standard for story-telling, I'm ignoring your criticism. People largely forgave Germany post-WWII due to the view the Hitler deceived them, even though the Holocaust was fairly well known about, it just wasn't REALIZED exactly what hell the death camps were. Also, I have the government forgiving the former Covenant, and while the public may be a bit more hesitant, the help against the Covenant Remnants would create a unification of military force, something that has historically created much better relations between countries. As far as I can tell, the industrial capability of the UNSC was capable of constructing new vessels just fine in canon. Considering that I changed Halo 5 to give the UNSC access to Genesis, a devoted Forerunner construction facility, I think they'd be just fine. Halo has a dyson sphere in it, that the UNSC controls in canon. Thank you for the review, but I disagree with your points. If you wish to talk further, feel free to send a PM.**

 **Masterix: Thank you! It is doubtful that Forerunner Sentinels will see combat in this story, sorry. I find that sentinels seem more suited to repair and construction rather than combat, which is the Prometheans domain. *hint hint***

 **RevengeS197: No problem, you have just as much entitlement to your opinion as I do mine. :) Agreed on the Flood, never made sense to me, and that is the issue. I don't WANT to deal with the Flood in here, they just curbstomp too hard if they get space-faring capability. As the the** _ **Spirit**_ **, they didn't find a different Ark. It was the same Installation 00 in Halo 3. I'm confused as to HOW they got there, which is why I'm throwing out HW2 canon, as it has too many plotholes for me to cover for. Glad to hear and hope you enjoy!**

 **Guest #3: Thank you! Yeah, sorry, chapters are slow because I am incompetent at writing quickly. Hah, indeed, which is part of what I want to explore in this story. Instead of Two superpowers slugging it out over an even playing field, how would a conservative, consolidated human Superpower deal with a much weaker opponent in the Council. Council will have claws, don't get me wrong, just haven't gotten there yet. To answer your question, read on! As for the second part of that question, that may be a while away.**

 **MysticOort: Thank you! I aim to please, as one over-sized teddybear weighing half-a-ton might say. Here you go, and GL and TC to you as well!**

 **Husebad: Yea, I know. I'm dealing with that in a slightly different manner. You can disregard HW2, I only kept the Banished around because I like their potential, and Atriox is fun to write. No problem, thanks for the review.**

* * *

 **February 26th, 2566**

 **UNSC CFV-88** _ **Spirit of Fire**_

 **Unknown System, Unknown Sector**

Serina watched curiously as the unknown aliens boarded the _Spirit of Fire_ from the small crack under the port-side hangar door. The compromised areas of the ship had been evacuated, depressurized, and sealed off with several bulkheads in the halls due to the damage.

When they moved to cut through the blast doors that separated the hangar from the halls of the ship, she let them be to see what they would do. These aliens were much different from any Covenant forces seen before, which lead the AI to believe that this was some new group.

According to the ship diagnostic report, the vessels outside were attempting to scan the _Spirit_ but were apparently having difficulty penetrating the thick hull. From the hails and the actions of their boarding party, these beings were not looking for combat but instead seemed curious. They had examined several items in the hangar but had not taken anything. Serina would stop them should they try to get through one of the bulkheads to the pressurized areas of the ship, but was otherwise content with avoiding hostilities with them.

As Serina continued to observe the aliens, they began to fiddle with the controls for the blast door that had sealed when the area had depressurized. One of them walked up to the pad by the door and brought up his arm. Much to the AI's surprise, a holographic tool sprung up and started to try and send and retrieve data from the door panel.

This species apparently wasn't used to secured systems as the panel almost instantly rejected the foreign incursion. A quick look at the report sent to her thereafter told Serina that the alien hadn't even sent an authentication code to the door and instead tried to directly open it by skirting around the security protocol. After a couple more attempts that resulted in failure, the being backed away from the door and gestured to another wearing what looked like a portable plasma cutter.

Serina was distracted from this scene by an alert from the mainframe of the _Spirit of Fire_. It simply told her that all systems were functioning acceptably. Serina herself had not fallen to rampancy due to her young age when the Spirit had been lost along with the long-term AI storage facilities on board colony ships.

Such storage was created in the early 21st century with the growing availability of atomic data storage when researchers had figured out how to store data bits on an atom. While not practical until almost 200 years later due to the inability to read information at a sufficient speed, this method was excellent due to other advances in the field.

The main two reasons that a switch had been made from biological to atomic storage for long-term storage was the amount of data that could be stored in a single space and the lack of degradation or data loss such a method provided. Biological data storage had been kept for random access memory due to the speed at which the DNA strands holding the information could be processed. While not in use, bio-RAM was kept in a cryogenic state to prevent architectural failure of the pathways.

With the technology combination of quantum processing, atomic storage for disk storage, biological RAM, and fiberoptics, human computers were unmatched by any current species. Even the Covenant, with thousands of years of a head start on humans, were unable to properly combat UNSC AI's, one of the only advantages of humans in the War. While these methods were superior, electrical computers still existed to process and handle low-level threads so as to keep an AI from slowing their cores with that data.

When their voyage home had begun nearly 35 years ago, Serina had plotted a predetermined course for the ship to guide them home using these simple but sufficient binary computers. After that, she had shut down her servers and AI core to prevent rampancy from claiming her when she was needed to guide the _Spirit_.

The small programs she had built were designed to have the sensors scan for celestial objects that could present a threat and then wake her if necessary. These had activated a short time ago when the ship had entered this latest system, and apparently just in time for the AI to detect the addition of the alien presence.

Serina brought her attention back to the cargo bay as the bright light of the cutter flared into focus. These aliens were attempting to cut through fifteen centimeters of solid Titanium-A plating using a tool that relied on the conductivity of the element that was being cut.

Unsurprisingly, they were having significant trouble against the molecularly reinforced material made to withstand Covenant plasma weapons that burned at 3000 degrees celsius. A plasma torch may make use of the properties of plasma, but it did not have the necessary heat to cut through such a surface in a clean and expeditious manner.

Eventually, after almost 30 minutes of cutting, they managed to make a hole large enough to advance into the halls of the _Spirit of Fire_. Serina was once again drawn from her observations by the sensors of the ship detecting a slipspace rupture further into the system. She diverted the majority of her attention to this new development, keeping a small tab on the aliens but knowing that the presence of the Covenant would present a far more immediate threat.

As she began her analysis, Serina noticed that the alien vessels were not reacting to the new visitors. It was probable that they did not have sufficient sensor technology to detect slipspace occurrences, their sensors were not as advanced as the _Spirit_ 's and operated at mere light-speed, they had seen the tears but disregarded them as errors, or they had seen the portals and just did not care. It was highly unlikely to be the last option, and seeing as the ships had seen the _Spirit_ just fine, the middle two were also unlikely. It was valuable information to know for future encounters, provided they survived this one.

These aliens had not entered this system using slipspace, for if they had Serina would've been able to detect the residual Cherenkov radiation from any nuclear material. All UNSC vessels could detect such disturbances due to their combat nature, but the _Spirit of Fire_ had superior sensors for the exploration and colonization missions she undertook in new systems and as such could detect subtle residual radiation from entrances further in the past.

Serina began preparations for the deactivation of the crew's cryo pods while the sensors gathered more information of whatever had caused the event. The virtually instant response from the sensors was distinctly absent without the latent slipspace effects that were provided by slipspace drives. Even without her drive, however, the _Spirit_ still possessed faster-than-light sensor suites that utilized the ONI-made X-ELF radar system for planet-mapping and target location.

UNSC sensors and communications used the small slipspace disturbances produced by their drives to send and receive information faster than otherwise possible. This was possible due to the UNSC slipspace drives inability to power down, resulting in wasted energy that, while not dangerous, could be utilized to great effect.

As this was happening, the AI focused some attention back onto the aliens as they tried to cut through yet another blast door of the _Spirit of Fire_. If what had emerged from slipspace was Covenant in origin, then these beings would need to get back to their ships and avoid the fight. From what Serina had gathered from her own subtle scans, their ships were oddly lacking in mass and had almost no armor to speak of. Even if they possessed shields, ships of that size wouldn't be able to stand up to Covenant vessels without sustaining heavy losses.

The analysis finished just as the beings managed to slice their way through the second barrier. Serina quickly accessed , processed, and filed the report before ceasing the defrosting preparation on the crew before it could wake them. All vessels that had emerged into the system were made with human designs, albeit a few were not ones that Serina could find in the _Spirit of Fire_ 's database. The report also detailed what seemed to be patches or other inconsistencies in the hulls of the human ships. To get a more detailed report, she would need to wait for the incoming vessels to close with the _Spirit_.

It took nearly another hour and a door more for the aliens aboard the _Spirit of Fire_ to suddenly come up short. They had been wandering down the passage that ran parallel to the hangar and would eventually curve towards the center of the ship and the main thoroughfares that were used to traverse the long length of the Spirit. Serina had been monitoring communication channels and had found some encoded messages, but she had neglected to break the encryption due to the lack of any translation software to understand what they were saying.

The group sent several communications back to the small ship from which they had come before beginning to backtrack down the corridor. On the way, one of their members stopped by the first door they had cut through and collected some scraps of Titanium-A, likely a sample to analyze the material in a controlled environment.

The aliens boarding team quickly reached the hangar and entered the shuttle that had pulled up to the side of the _Spirit of Fire_. As the transport craft reached the ship from which it had came, the group of sixteen ships pulled away from the _Spirit_ and entered an intercept course with the human vessels.

Five human craft were approaching the starboard side of the Spirit from a good 250,000 kilometers out and closing fast. From UNSC designations, these ships were two frigates and three small corvettes. Seeing as UNSC corvettes had been disregarded as irrelevant when the Covenant's ships were so large, the likelihood of this being a UNSC force was small. The fact that ushc vessels were common when the Insurrectionist movement was in full swing pointed towards a significantly different faction.

The alien force had moved to put itself between the _Spirit of Fire_ and the human ships in what seemed to be a battle formation. The smallest ships were arranged in three groups of four while the three larger crafts were in a three-point arc. The small ship that seemed to coordinate all the others, at least judging by the communication patterns, took a position under the center ship in the arc. This formation had coalesced as the group had passed over the _Spirit_ on their intercept course with the human vessels.

Now in formation, the alien arrangement quickly left Serina's ship behind and moved to directly intercept the human ships. Serina could detect communication hails coming from the alien craft on the standard UNSC distress channel, but so far she had heard nothing from the human ships. She watched as the two groups drew closer together and eventually stopped. At the very least, she was satisfied that munitions were not yet flying between the two, although the continued lack of communications from the human vessels worried her.

As they sat and stared at one another for all intents and purposes, Serina managed to pick out and refine a symbol on the side of one of the frigates when it turned to keep its bow oriented towards the alien craft. The logo was made up of three different parts. The sides were two pieces of a curved arrow that arced over a metal depiction of a planet with at least five different continents visible. The AI immediately recognized the location as the mid-atlantic, with North and South America on the left, Antarctica on the bottom, and Africa and Europe to the side with a small bit of western Asia.

Assured that these were indeed human forces and at the very least had been in contact with Earth and therefore the UNSC before, Serina decided that the associated parties needed to get things moving. With that decision, the _Spirit of Fire_ 's engines flared and the massive 2.5 kilometer ship slowly eased itself towards the two groups. Within seconds of executing this adjustment, two of the larger vessels along with one of the groups of smaller ships started to turn around to face the _Spirit_.

Before anything more could occur, the human ships belonging to the unknown group finally sent out a transmission, albeit to the _Spirit_ and not the unknowns. A female voice began speaking, "This is Captain Irene Finick of the SSV _Boa_ to the UNSC _Spirit of Fire_. We are responding to your distress signal and are ready to provide assistance to return you to the UNSC. Do you copy?"

"This is UNSC AI SNA 1292-4 Serina in temporary command of the UNSC _Spirit of Fire_ under orders from UNSC Captain James Cutter. We read you, however, we are unable to authenticate your vessel's signature. Please clarify your designation 'SSV'," Serina responded.

She quickly received a response from the Boa's captain, "Systems Alliance Space Vessel. We shall transmit declassified historical events to help eliminate the gap in your databanks."

Serina noted a compressed data transmission arrive from the Boa. As it came in Serina began unpacking and organizing its contents while simultaneously responding, "Do you have any records of the alien species currently involved?"

"Negative, they match no known Covenant configuration. We noticed a group exit your port hangar as we approached. From your countenance, I assume they were of little threat."

"Affirmative, they spent some time carefully cutting through a blast door or two before you arrived. The crew is secure and no information was compromised in the breach," Serina answered.

At this point, the data from the Boa finished running through the _Spirit_ 's filtering servers, allowing Serina to process the information directly. The first thing that she went over was the events in the Human-Covenant war that the _Spirit_ had missed in its long voyage. Serina was saddened by the records of the Covenant's advance into human space after they had left.

The record of the war cut off in April of 2543 with a battle in the Psi Serpentis system. As she viewed the description and progression of this conflict, Serina noted that these were likely former Insurrectionists that had split as the UNSC and UEG fell to the Covenant advance. With this suspicion, Serina examined the data for proof of this and noticed an open admittance to Insurrectionist origins in the history partition.

Much to her surprise, this faction had formed from both the UNSC and Insurrectionist forces that battled the Covenant. The scattered remnants of populations from destroyed and captured planets were gathering together, to flee the conflict and try and continue the human race as best they could. Billions had survived the Covenant by fleeing into outlying regions and surviving, while billions more stayed behind and perished.

The catalyst for their formation had been the arrival of Cole after the Battle of Psi Serpentis. With the might of a UNSC naval vessel and a solid leadership, the survivors made their way outside of UNSC space, picking up pockets of populations that traveled in their wake. Eventually, they settled on a new world by the name of Terra, and had attained a population of almost one billion from new arrivals as well as population growth.

As she quickly went through the details of the 'Systems Alliance' Serina noticed mentions of a species that had been named 'Protheans'. Accessing the information, Serina learned that these Protheans were yet another alien species that had disappeared. According to the description provided, their architecture was reminiscent of the alien planet the _Spirit_ had visited, but seemed to incorporate some curves and other such designs apart from the constant angular construction.

Apparently this alien species had used some form of mass-altering substance to power their technology, a concept which this Systems Alliance had adopted. While some of the vessels in front of the _Spirit_ were of obvious human design, matching the Charon light frigate and Mako corvette classes, there were several classes listed that were powered by this 'Element Zero'.

Intrigued, Serina continued the conversation with Captain Finick, having processed the information and formulated her questions fast enough that the human could not notice the delay. "So...Insurrectionists, huh? Would your so-called rescue include appropriation of this vessel?" Serina asked in a smartass tone. She didn't actually believe these Innies were hostile, but she couldn't help but make such comments in a stressful situation. Being caught between Innie-held vessels and a previously unmet species certainly counted as stressful in her book.

Finick responded after a second of silence to process the AI's bold and somewhat hostile comment, "Negative, we have nothing against your ship or its crew. When we broke away, the UNSC let us go. I'm sure that ONI knew of our formation and intent, but there were no attempts to intervene with the Navy. Albeit this was due to the closing Covie noose, but it still was enough for us to rebuild. I will not lie, if you return to former UNSC space, you will most likely find nothing but glass and alien bastards. The UNSC was losing the war badly when we left. Unless a miracle happened, there's no way they could have stood up to the alien invasion. We do not know the status of the rest of the human race, the risk of discovery by the Covenant was too high to go back."

Serina knew that the captain was correct in her assessment, however, she couldn't help but hope that the UNSC had somehow survived the onslaught. The AI did not spend much time on this thought and responded, "So how do you plan to help us? We do not have a slipspace drive and I would highly doubt you have any just sitting around."

"We do have several spare drives, in fact."

Serina grew suspicious of this and replied, "Convenient."

Finick shrugged, "We knew you were out here. It wasn't like we just happened by right when these unknowns appeared. The system of remote sensors we use to warn about possible Covenant detection tracked them as tracing your signal. Command figures that helping a UNSC ship might get some goodwill if they still exist, or goodwill from your crew if they do not. Considering you were drifting dead in space, we figured to get rid of some extra drives from ships that have been converted to using Mass Effect."

"You have a drive large enough for a ship of this size?" Serina asked in surprise.

"Several working in tandem, while inefficient, will work well enough so that you aren't moving at a snail's pace," the human responded. She continued, "As I'm sure you saw in the information we sent you, the Alliance has been moving to change to Element Zero drives. Slipspace may be more economical, however, we know that the Covenant can trace slipspace vectors and as such we cannot risk the continued utilization of that transport method."

"You have enough of this Element Zero to build a fleet?"

"We have enough for civilian and military use for several centuries, however, we do not want go against the Covenant with the size limits that using this material implies. Our supply is limited by the amount that the Protheans stored in their structures. From what we have investigated, Element Zero does not form naturally, at least not in this region of the galaxy."

Serina considered this before asking the obvious question, "Why make all that effort to move such an amount of material to what seems to have been a small outpost or relay?"

"We think that they were fleeing something. We have never found any larger ruins or any other trail. There were cryo chambers in the lower depths, but the seals had been broken and all that was left was dust. It's probable that the ships they arrived in were scrapped and the Element that was left was stored for later use. This store was probably supplemented by many supply ships to carry such an amount. It is possible that they're original home was destroyed or otherwise invaded and the last remnants of an interstellar empire came to rest and die, leaving behind what they had saved. As for what might have been chasing them, we know nothing."

"You're willing to share this much information?" Serina queried, her suspicions mostly laid to rest with the detail of information provided, but a last assurance and reaction wouldn't hurt.

"We're both human, and I figure you hate the Covenant far more than some descendants of Innies. There's no use in hiding public information either, as if our governments come into contact, there's no way ONI won't find out about this. They wouldn't even have to dig into something they're not supposed to, although I'm sure they would."

"Interesting, fair, and very true. History analyses aside, I think it time we address the alien presence that isn't dead," Serina stated. She would share this information with the UNSC, as Finick expected, if they managed to return with a slipspace drive, however, first they had to deal with the unknowns.

Captain Finick quickly replied to Serina, "Their vessels have signs reminiscent of our own Element Zero drives, as each has a bubble of distorted space-time around the vessel. We seem to use more advanced engines with our deuterium fusion reactor engines versus what appears to be antimatter engines limited by fuel consumption. They also seem to be running very hot. Inefficient manifolds."

"I can see that. Primitive, humans have had antimatter figured out since the 21st century, and have used it for engines since the 22nd. Any match to the alien ruins in Alliance space?"

"It is possible, but very unlikely. The Protheans appeared to incorporate subtle curvature into their designs, whereas these vessels are much more angular. Also, communication protocols used by the Augur structure are not garnering a reaction from the vessels." In that assessment, the Captain was correct. The alien ships had held their defensive formation throughout Serina and Finick's conversation, seemingly willful to let them be for now.

Serina considered the vessels in front of them for a short time. The design was very basic, much simpler than most UNSC ships. A large rectangular spine ran the length of all the ships and two large wings stuck out from midway down to the engines. It was likely that some form of cannon was mounted down this long spine, a tactic which the UNSC had utilized as well for their MAC's. The barrel for any form of large-scale weaponry, however, appeared to be far too small to fire anything larger than a standard tank shell.

"Before you arrived they were attempting to hail us. I ignored their hail as they were, and still are, an unknown. Following UNSC protocols I cannot contact them without express orders from the captain of the Spirit of Fire," the AI told her counterpart.

Finick responded, "I am under much the same orders from Systems Alliance Command for this mission. I cannot lead unknown or hostile forces to Systems Alliance space, and last we heard of the UNSC there were mutterings of adopting a similar policy. First thing to consider, however, would be how we're going to exit the system. All of my vessels are equipped with Eezo drives, but we cannot transfer the slipspace drives necessary for your travel with unknowns present in-system."

"It would take hours to install a new drive in the _Spirit_ , so that's not a viable option for us here and now," Serina responded. She thought for a moment before arriving to a viable if slightly unconventional solution. "If you have the extra slipspace drives powered and synchronized then the portal will be much more powerful than any of your ships would need. We could ride in the wake of one of your ships for a short period to exit this region and allow us space to transfer the drives over."

"We won't get far as our cores aren't optimal for the energy requirements of slipspace drives, but they should hold out long enough to get us out of the area," the human said. She made a gesture to deactivate the comms and give out several orders to an unseen crew. This was quickly finished and the captain turned back to Serina's image, "I understand how desperate you are to arrive back home, but I must require that you follow the Cole Protocol sent with the rest of the data. As I said before, the Covenant may still linger around UNSC worlds and we cannot allow them to find that the Alliance exists."

Serina processed the Protocol and verified the authorization before integrating the automatic fail-safes called for. This took several seconds during which the AI considered the implications of the changes. The purpose was obvious, even without the explanation provided for human eyes. "If I implement this, my crew will die. I will die with them. It was truly that bad for such extreme measures to be taken?"

"Only if defeat in the face of a Covenant advance was imminent. We'll make the first jump randomized away from both Alliance and UNSC space so as to assure that these unknowns cannot follow. The ships powered solely with an Eezo core cannot handle the warps of slipspace on their hull and barriers, so they will jump on a separate vector. Prepare your vessel to jump," Finick told the AI before cutting off the transmission.

Serina quickly did just that as she accelerated towards the Alliance fleet. The alien ships made no motion to stop the massive UNSC colony ship and instead held its defensive formation. It was good that they did, for had they tried to intervene in between the _Spirit_ and her destination they would have been run over by the massive ship.

No preparations needed to be done as all had been completed when the _Spirit_ had begun its long journey home. As the vessel neared the fleet, the Alliance vessels shifted to let the ship take position behind the old UNSC designs. Within seconds, the smaller ships had flashed out of existence, only a strange engine contrail left in their wake. The rest of the SA ships moved into a familiar slipspace transit formation, with two slipspace capable ships taking positions at the aft of the _Spirit of Fire_ to maintain the wake for the massive ship.

As the _Spirit_ matched the vector of the SA ships, a flash of white heralded the appearance of a portal in front of the head of the fleet. The tear grew as more power was added from the multiple drives on board the vessels. With a flare of engines, the fleet began to move towards the portal while maintaining formation. The alien ships made no move to intercept them and may have even backed off a bit at the sight of the slipspace portal.

* * *

 **February 28th, 2566**

 **UNSC CFV-88** _ **Spirit of Fire**_

 **Interstellar Medium**

The journey through the eleven dimensions of slipspace went smoothly enough for travelling in the wake of much smaller ships. Had the crew been awake, they probably would have been concerned about the groans of the damaged port side, but for Serina it wasn't an issue. The _Spirit_ and Alliance group were currently in dark space, the immense gaps between systems providing a perfect place to layover for the drive exchange. Engineers from the Alliance had already rigged the extra drives from their ships together to form a large enough drive for the _Spirit of Fire_.

Element Zero drives had been activated in place of the missing slipspace drives while the main engines were still powered by the standard deuterium reactors for propulsion. This change gave Serina a good chance to observe the capabilities of this new technology. With a reduced mass but a constant thrust output, the maneuverability of each vessel increased greatly.

Serina would love to take the innovations to assist the rest of humanity, but the Systems Alliance would not give her access. She suspected that this was due to the lack of AI support for the SA ships. Any AI that they had when they left the UNSC would have gone rampant, and without the infrastructure to create more they had done without. How they calculated jumps with their Element Zero drives was a mystery to her, but was something she'd be sure to learn if possible.

None of the Spirit's crew had been awakened from cryo as the drive installation and removal process was all handled by Serina. As it was, the _Spirit of Fire_ was ready to depart back to the UNSC, likely as not to be destroyed upon entering in the wake of the Covenant. The Systems Alliance vessels were set to head back to their space, wherever that was.

So, with a silent volley of flashing rounds as a salute to the inevitable tribulations ahead for the UNSC ship, the Alliance vessels activated their Element Zero drives and flashed away. The _Spirit_ turned to a random vector and activated its new slipspace drives, heading into the portal to begin its own journey home.

* * *

 **11th Day of 6th Month, 2437 (February 26, 2566)**

 **29th Citadel Exploratory Fleet, First Battlegroup**

 **Holding Position in Unknown System**

The Council would throw high hell over this, Garrus just knew it. Not only had they found a new species, but they had found multiple species, if the different designs were anything to go by. To add to that, however, was that one of these species had advanced from the usual primitive exploration to utilizing some form of portals as transportation.

Considering that the other, newer, vessels used mass effect drives, albeit fairly primitive ones, this portal technology couldn't be better than Eezo drives. It was still a disturbing thought about how such a thing could be used in a weaponized form or for other miscellaneous uses.

His fleet could easily track the ships with mass effect drives by the signatures they were assigned when the sensors first detected them, but he had no idea how they could trace those portal ships. Not that he really wanted to find them again, even if he could. They may have been ugly, but Garrus and any other soldier could pinpoint their purpose the moment they saw them: those ships were built to fight.

While they didn't have mass effect drives that Garrus' fleet could detect, there was definitely some Eezo on all but the ridiculous 2.5 kilometer vessel. This allowed Garrus' crew to establish a mass index for each of the alien ships. The smallest ship was still a frigate by Citadel standard length designations, but could be as large as a small cruiser on the mass index.

The Citadel races all used extremely light materials so as to avoid the exponential Eezo cost. Instead of using metal or other dense construction material, the Citadel reverted to plastics and composites to build their ships. The only areas that armor was used was the hull so as to provide at least some protection. The main defense for Citadel craft were their kinetic barriers as they just made more economical sense.

Why increase the cost of a ship with armor that required expensive repairs and could be pierced when instead that same ship could have rechargeable defensive barriers that defended against all devastating attacks.

These aliens apparently had no such inhibitions. According to the mass differential and spectral analysis given to them by his fleet's sensors, each of those ships were made almost exclusively from titanium and had to have a significant portion of the outer hull devoted to heavy plating. If that was on the vessels a fifth of the size of that massive one, then he would bet that the thick door the had seen when entering probably provided a good estimate for the general hull, something which would prove a problem if they ever engaged that thing in combat.

With armor that thick, Citadel mass accelerator shells wouldn't penetrate due to their standard of thin hulls. Instead, the shell would flatten against the wall of metal, and while that may put a good dent in that section, on a ship that big damage needed to be dealt quickly and not by attrition.

Frowning at such thoughts, Garrus turn from the main viewscreen and made his way back to his command chair. Their mission was a success, so for now they would head back to base and give their report over the QEC. A race so new to the stars wouldn't be able to build ships of that size quickly, and even if they were experienced, it would require too many materials to be anywhere close to economically viable. If the Council wanted to bring this race under their guidance, the quicker the better so as to prevent any escalation of the alien's armed forces.

"Lieutenant, get us out of here. Jump on your mark, fleet stays in formation."

"Yes, sir," came the trained reply. With that finished, Garrus opened a report on his omnitool and began to type. He knew he'd have to do it at some point, might as well do it while the events were fresh in his mind.

* * *

 **First Age of Realization, Fifth Cycle/February 28th, 2566**

 _ **Enduring Conviction**_

 **Interplanetary Medium, Reclaimer system**

Atriox hated these damnable patrols. He understood that the Kig Yar needed to be kept away and he was perfectly happy to be given the mission of killing them, but actually finding the vermin just grated on his nerves. Hide and seek was not a game he was keen on playing, especially when it involved a glassed planet in human territory. The upside to such a situation, however, was that Atriox could catch up on reports from other Banished vessels.

As he finished the last of the fleet reports from a Banished battlegroup in Sangheili space, Atriox glanced around the bridge. Let 'Volir sat in the Shipmaster's throne beside him, examining reports and various other screens projected from the console. Other officers and crew attended to tasks throughout the large area, overseeing the operation of the _Enduring Conviction_.

Sangheili and Jiralhanae worked beside each other with practiced efficiency, each knowing what they needed to do and when without getting in the way of any others. Atriox hadn't seen the crew so relaxed and pleasant with each since he first met 'Volir and offered to refuel his ship, back when the bridge crew were all Sangheili.

With the formation of the Wardens and the solidification of leadership in both Sangheili and Jiralhanae space, tensions between the species had decreased significantly. The Sangheili's snobbish attitude of superiority from the days of the Covenant had decreased significantly from their betrayal by the prophets.

At the same time, the Jiralhanae envy of the Sangheili had diminished as they began to experience the vast difficulties inherent to managing an interstellar empire. The establishment of these two powerful governments created an awkward situation for jointly-crewed vessels that had disobeyed the Prophet's orders. This group of lost vessels was where Atriox saw an opportunity to turn the Banished into more than a small rebel group.

As the Human-Covenant war came to a close and the Great Schism raged on, Atriox sought out vessels that wanted no part of either side. Most of these were vessels with a crew made up of Sangheili and Jiralhanae that had fought beside each other instead of one above of the other. Their years of combat against the humans had forged a companionship that could only be found in soldiers. Atriox offered these crews the option of joining the Banished, not to fight against their own kin, but to destroy the Covenant Remnants that had betrayed them all.

So it was that the Banished became their own military force, eventually becoming strong enough to take entire planets for themselves and away from the Remnants. The humans had seen what they were doing and left well enough alone, although it wasn't rare in an engagement for the Banished to get shadow signatures lurking around the edges of a system, likely the human ONI organization keeping tabs.

The Sangheili and Jiralhanae had also noted the efforts of the Banished and officially granted Atriox and his vessels permission to cross their territory. The humans had not officially declared closed or open borders to the Banished, which was a large part of why Atriox was keen to finish up this hunt and leave the area.

While the Banished were technically classified as an independent organization and therefore legally allowed to enter human space, it wouldn't reflect well on them to be drifting above a formerly glassed planet with shields raised and weapons ready. Even if the _Enduring Conviction_ were sitting idly by, there was no assurance they wouldn't pick up an escort along the way. Several other independent groups that Atriox kept in contact with had reported being tailed by private human vessels, although official UNSC ships had merely watched from their posts or as they passed by.

Apparently the human 'corporations', as they called them, were allowed to operate their own ships and were doing so quite freely. Most were ships from human corporations chipping away at the glass that covered so many worlds. Nothing hostile had occurred between any parties, leading Atriox to believe that the captains were merely tailgating so as to get a good look at alien ships without being shot at.

The _Enduring Conviction_ hadn't yet had a run in with any humans, but if it did, Atriox had half a mind to offer to eradicate the pirates that plagued human borders. With a little favor from a human organization with terraforming rights, the Banished could possibly establish a forward operating base for their mission.

That train of thought led Atriox to consider the meeting that had given the Banished purpose once more. After the formation of the Wardens and the official declaration that the Remnants had been crushed, the Banished had lost their defining goal. Atriox had founded the Banished to fight the Covenant and the demagoguery that the San'Shyuum represented. Now that mission was complete, but disbanding the Banished seemed like a mistake, seeing as how the organization was both voluntary and well respected.

Let 'Volir had stepped up and suggested that Atriox follow the Chieftain of Doisac back to the Jiralhanae homeworld and ask for a mission. Acknowledging the intelligent idea and quick thinking of the Sangheili warrior, Atriox had done exactly that.

Lydus had seemed pleased to meet with Atriox and had given the Warlord a proposition. If the Banished so wished, they could separate from both the Sangheili and Jiralhanae without interference from either party, an option that both Lydus and the Arbiter had agreed upon for the Banished effort against the Remnants. Atriox had almost instantly denied that possibility, something that Lydus seemed to be fully expecting as explained the second option of hunting Kig-Yar.

The pirate hordes had appeared while the Sangheili and Jiralhanae fought and were proving to be a great hinderance in repairing damages from the Schism. This had been exactly what the Banished leader was looking for, both to allow his warriors to gain honor in combat and to help rid the galaxy of such reprehensible filth.

In return for their assistance with the matter, Lydus had promised that should the Banished be attacked by any party, they would have the support of the Jiralhanae and Sangheili. Atriox had expressed his concern about an attack by the humans, but much to his surprise the old Chieftain merely scoffed.

According to his meeting with the UEG president, the humans had little interest in Covenant space beyond investigating the Forerunner structures and technology left behind. Considering that the humans would know where every Forerunner artifact was anyways and their status as the Reclaimers, the concession had been easy to make. Neither the Jiralhanae nor any other race, besides the Huragok who had allied with the Reclaimers, had the technology or expertise to investigate the ruins and as such they were left to the humans.

So far, Atriox had heard that the humans were staying true to their word. Instead of quick expansion out of their territory, they were building fleets and armies. The Covenant was familiar with the concept of consolidation of power, but the rate at which the humans did so was, as always with their species, unexpected.

Atriox huffed in annoyance as he ran that train of thought dry, allowing boredom to overtake him once again. With a grunt he stood from his seat and clomped off towards the video screens showing the outside of the _Enduring Conviction_. He saw 'Volir give him a passing glance before continuing to dutifully ignore the footsteps of his leader. The officers of the bridge made way for him, some giving salutes and others a simple nod. As he reached the screen showing the world of glass below, Atriox considered their current target.

This particular pirate vessel had led them on one of their longest chases yet, starting in Jiralhanae territory and going straight across the Sangheili expanse before ending in the current human system. While they weren't terribly far into human space, they were well past the border between the humans and Sangheili.

From what the sensors had told them upon entering this system, the Kig Yar had blown their slipspace drive while trying to mask their signature. That meant that this hunt would end here, seeing as an unshielded frigate going against a well maintained assault carrier was laughable at best.

Atriox wasn't entirely sure why the ship had fled to human territory rather than into the Kig Yar dens on the eastern borders of Warden space. It was possible that the pirate captain thought that a Banished vessel wouldn't follow them that far, but even so, their chances against the _Enduring Conviction_ were far better than the chances they would face when the humans found them.

The Banished ship needed to exit slipspace to find targets, whereas the humans would emerge from slipspace next to a vessel and ram it, resulting in an easy kill. Atriox considered it cheating, but couldn't argue against its effectiveness. After all, if the humans wanted to build their ships like mobile battering rams to defeat former Covvies, then they could have at it.

The Jiralhanae themselves were struggling with enforcing their own territory, hence why the Banished were recruited to assist. Jiralhanae space had the second largest number of planets from former Covenant systems and was on the frontier of Warden space, seeing as they were only recently discovered before the Human-Covenant war.

Sangheili territory lay between the Jiralhanae and human territories and took up the largest portion of former Covenant space with several hundred planets in their domain. While their fleets had been heavily depleted by the Schism, the Sangheili still had sufficient numbers to patrol most of their area.

The other former Covenant species had a fair number of planets between them, but none had anything more than bare bones for fleets. Each was working to fix that issue, but for the moment they were virtually defenseless. These weakened species made up the western territory of Warden space as looked upon with the humans the closest to the galactic core and going towards the rim.

While the humans had more planets, most former Covenant colonies were more developed. The reason for this was largely due to the relatively conservative settlement of territory due to artifacts of the Forerunners.

The human's own domain had grown at a rate that put any expansion efforts of the Covenant to shame. While not the size of the Covenant in the pre-war era, at their current rate of expansion the humans would eclipse the former empire within the decade. Compared to the current galactic map, the humans far outclassed every other species, encompassing a large part of their local spur and even beginning to expand towards the galactic core.

Massive fleets had quickly followed as they recovered from the war, a trend that was only accelerated with the accretion of Forerunner artifacts under their control. As more worlds were terraformed back to habitable status, there was a notable increase in the number and range of UNSC patrols. This recovery had propagated the spread of the Forerunner designation of the humans from just the Swords to almost all of the former Covenant species. Even the UEG had acknowledged the term Era of Reclamation to be officially from 2552 to the present day on human calendars.

Atriox had no issue with saying it as it was and acknowledging the human title. He respected the humans for their determination and might during the Human-Covenant war. They had fought the same enemies as the Banished and had stood firm even on the brink of annihilation. It showed a strength of will that any Jiralhanae or Sangheili could appreciate.

His boredom was alleviated as a shout from the sensor op caught his attention, "Sir, slipspace portal detected. Far side of the moon, approaching the orbit of the human world."

"Our prey?" Let 'Volir asked.

The Sangheili that had spoken waited a second for an analysis before responding, "No, sir. New contact, different slipspace signature. No visual, we'll have a line of sight in approximately one hour if we keep orbit and they stay their course."

"We cannot hail them at this time without deploying a comm relay and revealing our presence," reported the Jiralhanae on the communication console before the inevitable question was asked.

Atriox nodded to 'Volir as the Sangheili looked to him, silently communicating his approval of initiating contact. As the Enduring Conviction pulled away from the world of glass, Atriox made his way back to 'Volir's command throne. He waited patiently as the Shipmaster finished giving orders to the crew before asking, "Humans?"

'Volir needed no clarification for the question from his commanding officer. He took a second to consider a readout he brought up from one of the command consoles before replying, "There's no distinct match to the signature, but based on the power output and quality of the slip, I can see no other viable option. Fluctuations from their entrance seem to indicate an unstable or unrefined slipstream drive. We have no indication of the Kig Yar's exact position, but we do know they're still combat capable."

"Indeed. Keep alert for any activity, if there's fleet action I want you ready to engage," Atriox ordered. 'Volir nodded before directing his attention back to managing his bridge. So it was for the next few minutes as the _Enduring Conviction_ made its way to communication range with the human ship.

Atriox kept his gaze on the main bridge screen, watching the stars go by and waiting for the new vessel to be brought into visual and communication range. His wait was not long as the Banished flagship started a gravitational slingshot around one of the moons of the glassed planet. As they came to the dark side of the celestial body, the distinctive grey hull of a human vessel slid into view on the main screen.

The ship was oriented with the bow facing away from the barren moon below, presenting the port side to the main screen. It was immediately apparent that the humans had been in combat at some point as the side of the vessel was heavily scarred. As the Banished flagship closed in on the inactive vessel, human characters became visible towards the top of the vessel.

"Check the ship database for any reports of a UNSC _Spirit of Fire_. Comms, hail them," 'Volir ordered. Atriox ignored the chatter as the Shipmaster's commands were carried out. Instead, he kept watch on the ship as it continued to show no signs of life. Usually, a human ship would hail any foreign vessel in their territory or at the very least move to intercept. From the way this one was drifting, however, it was either abandoned or dead in the water, for whatever reason.

"No response on any channels," reported the officer.

"I have a vessel match in the human archives. UNSC _Spirit of Fire_ , Phoenix-class colony ship, went missing from Arcadia on February 10, 2531 in human measurement. Declared lost with all crew three Solar Cycles after. There was a report of its existence behind enemy lines, but they were proven false," announced the Sangheili minor assigned to the task. At this news, 'Volir turned to Atriox in deference to his command role.

"Contact the human fleetmasters. Inform them of their missing ship and that observation reveals no sign of survivors aboard. I will lead a team to search the ship, make it clear that it is a search and rescue mission. Shipmaster, if our quarry shows itself, burn their hides. Protect the human ship, it may garner us favor for more operations in this sector. Have my clan assemble in the ventral hangar," Atriox ordered after a few moments of thought.

With an objective set, Atriox turned and made his way off the bridge. As he moved through the Banished vessel, various crewmembers and ground personnel made way for him while acknowledging his presence. While the vast majority of silent greetings were simple nods, some crew gave full salutes. The Banished were not a military organization, a fact that Atriox was perfectly fine accepting. The rigid military hierarchy of the Covenant was best left behind for the more relaxed mercenary organization of the Banished in his opinion.

This command structure not only allowed Atriox to draw in soldiers with a less strict regimen than the former Covenant, but also allowed units operating in the Banished to work together closely without the pomp of social class imposed by the religiously driven alliance. There were still ranks and orders were obeyed, but building a relation with former Covenant soldiers would help break down barriers from the War and Schism.

Such thoughts faded from his mind as Atriox caught sight of his general standing to the side of the main corridor. Seeing his leader, Decimus joined the Jiralhanae Chieftain as he made his way to the main hangar of the _Enduring Conviction_. A Jiralhanae warlord and one of the generals of the Banished, Decimus was well known for leading from the frontlines along with harboring a grudge against the Storm Remnant for their continued loyalty to the Covenant. As the second in command of the Banished, Decimus led the small guard that accompanied Atriox when their commander inevitably insisted on boarding possibly hostile vessels.

The other warriors assigned for the boarding mission were lined up outside of one of the Type-25B troop carriers that the group utilized for transportation. Once Atriox and his lieutenant had stepped aboard, the other four members of the boarding party loaded in as well. With the party aboard, Decimus slammed his fist against the wall to let the pilot know that they were ready to leave. As the transport pulled away from the Banished carrier, Atriox grabbed Chainbreaker from where it had been brought aboard by one of his team. With his personal weapon ready and about half-a-unit to their destination, Atriox began his briefing.

"The human vessel has been confirmed as missing from earlier in the war against the Covenant. We have contacted the humans to let them know of the situation, so expect their presence in-system at any point. Our mission, however, is to ascertain the presence and condition of any survivors aboard. There has been no distress signal, nor any other signs of life. Be warned, any survivors will likely be hostile due to the ongoing war when they lost contact," he informed the team.

"Combat rules?" one of the Jiralhanae asked.

"Attempt to stun, I do not want unnecessary casualties for the humans to complain about. If resistance is heavy, fall back. This isn't an assault, it's a scouting mission. I want every warrior going in to come back out. Preferably in one piece." There were a few deep rumbles at the morbid humor to remind them that ground combat against the humans was never easy when they became entrenched.

The last few portions of the flight were spent checking on gear and muttering amiable insults back and forth. As they drew closer to the human ship, the lack of evasive maneuvers for point defense guns was obvious. Encouraged by the friendly, or at least apathetic, response, the pilot quickly brought the dropship to a hangar that was part way open on the port section of the vessel. The breaches in the hull had already called for each member of the insertion team to be able to operate in a vacuum environment, so with the Banished craft in position, the atmosphere was depressurized in the troop bays.

"Form up, stay close, and watch your back," Decimus ordered as they stepped out into the void of space. Using the handholds on the extended troop-bay doors, the group quickly made their way down the dropship to the breach that lead into the human vessel. Atriox led the way into the dark space, dropping to the ground as the artificial gravity came into effect. He hefted Chainbreaker but kept the weapon deactivated as he scanned the interior. Determining that they were alone, he moved out of the entrance so that the rest of his team could enter.

Decimus came in next, carrying a modified Gravity Hammer that the crew had named Atriox's Fist, after the legendary Tartarus' Gavel. Seeing as how they were both weapons for the leaders' respective lieutenant's and Decimus commonly led the way with his pulverizing strikes, Atriox had abstained from commenting on the nomenclature. As long as the Banished members did their jobs and obeyed his command, they could name whatever they liked after him.

The last of the team dropped in behind their commanders, spreading out to the sides to scan the area and provide a rearguard. With all boarders now in position, the group advanced towards the far side of the hangar they had entered. Various UNSC vehicles were stationed around the area, all showing signs of combat with plasma burns and scrapes from rough handling.

Atriox took all this in as he stomped across the floor, his heavy footsteps sending small vibrations through the metal plating. Seeing as no resistance was presented to their intrusion, the squad moved towards the exit of the hangar, keeping their formation tight as they did so. Within seconds they arrived, only to find the entrance to the halls of the UNSC ships already open.

Several of the rearguard moved forward to set up in the hall, letting the walls protect the sides of the group. Atriox ignored this as he took a knee to examine the hole cut in the titanium door. From the way it was cut with precision, it looked like a small plasma cutter had been used instead of the Covenant way of opening UNSC doors, which usually involved plasma grenades and copious amounts of firepower from heavy weapons.

Someone had already been here, neither Covenant nor human. Humans would already know that a plasma cutter would be a terrible tool to use on the molecularly reinforced metal, and Covenant wouldn't try for this clean cut on a human ship. After a few more seconds of inspection, Atriox stood once more and slipped through the opening, his armor scraping against the cut made for a much smaller being.

Once more they advanced into the ship, the deserted corridor stretching before them. They quickly reached another breached door and crossed its threshold. Weapons were kept ready but in a relaxed position as the group reformed.

Within another minute they came across a third barrier. Atriox grunted in annoyance, seeing that it was cut open in the same way as the others. There was no way that such work was quick, meaning that whoever had been here was present for an extended period. Glancing around, the Banished leader's attention was drawn away from his observations as a report from the _Conviction_ came through.

"Reclaimers have confirmed our message and have ships en route, sir," a bridge officer reported, the distinctive baritone of a Sangheili obvious.

Atriox made a motion to fall back to his unit as he responded, "Understood, send our transport back, we will be there soon."

The Jiralhanae scout party turned away from the penetrated door, making the previous rearguard the leaders and leaving Atriox to watch their back. Used to such operations and dynamic position alterations, Atriox easily fell into his roll, keeping his peripheral vision on the hallway behind them.

Nothing appeared as they made their way back to the hangar, a process which was much shortened due to the already-cleared corridors they were travelling. In short time they had reached the last door, each member carefully pulling themselves through the opening as Atriox kept watch behind them.

As such, the Banished leader was the first to see the glint of light flashing down the hall. He reached back and tapped the nearest warrior, silently communicating that he had seen something. The silent signal quickly went through the party, resulting in a hurried effort for the rest of the team to go through the hole and towards the opening on the hangar door.

When the last of the troops were through and it was just him and Decimus, Atriox motioned for his general to fall back. Decimus glanced at the flashing light that had gotten brighter as the unknowns advanced towards their position. Unwilling to argue, the Jiralhanae general retreated through the breach, leaving Atriox alone.

Before what he assumed were humans could reach him, the Banished leader followed into the hangar. He quietly activated the channel to his dropship and asked, "Estimated arrival?"

"30 seconds," the pilot responded.

"Defensive positions around the exit, prepare to leave," Atriox ordered his guards.

The Jiralhanae obeyed without hesitation, hauling several crates towards the breach that led to the void. Decimus took cover behind a human warthog, ready to jump out at the first sign of combat. Atriox himself stood out in the open, his armor the best among them for absorbing enemy fire long enough to get to cover.

Within seconds the humans that had been following their withdrawal reached the breached hangar blast door, pausing to examine the cut just as Atriox had before. With that done, they moved into the space, scanning the area. While hidden from their direct view, Atriox could see all of this by the way the beams of light moved about the space, illuminating whatever the humans were looking at.

Eventually, the humans once more advanced, and Atriox took note of the soft thuds that were distinctive to one extremely dangerous human combat unit. As the group of three armored humans rounded the nose of a dropship to reach the port hangar door, Atriox's suspicion was confirmed as three Spartans came into view.

Judging from the age of the ship as well as their armor, these weren't the Demons that had become common on many UNSC ships. Instead, these were what many were calling Elder Demons. Humans called them Spartan-II's, the Covenant had named them enemies of the Great Journey, but all Atriox knew for sure was that he and his team could not hope to take on all three.

While the Banished leader could probably engage an entire team of Lesser Demons and win, perhaps even fight a single Elder Demon to a standstill, three would be almost impossible. Even outdated as their equipment was, three Spartans working together would be able to take out entire ships, let alone Atriox's small team.

One was already looking in his direction, the other down to the other side of the space, and the last scanning behind them. Almost instantly the other two Spartans turned to face him, their weapons trained on his face and chest. Atriox tensed his hand around the grip of Chainbreaker as he held the hammer loosely in both hands, ready to swing if one of the Demons charged.

Surprisingly, the Spartans held their fire, apparently unsure what to do with a Jiralhanae that wasn't trying to kill them. Both sides stood still, ready for a fight but neither wanting to begin it. Atriox was sure that the Spartans had seen his team, even in cover of darkness. As it was, the Jiralhanae Warlord was content to stay in this standoff as his transport drew closer to the extraction point.

Seconds later, the dull vibration of the Banished dropship against the hull outside could be felt. Knowing their priorities, the first two Jiralhanae warriors began a slow retreat to the ship, their warhammers useless against Demons. Every Covenant, Banished, and any other group who had fought the Spartans knew that close combat with one was a death sentence.

One of the Demons flicked his weapon towards the retreating forms of the Banished, only to bring it back to Atriox as he shifted to draw attention away from his troops. Decimus moved next, taking position next to the opening to attempt to keep the Demons out. At this point the general was following procedure, as a truly determined Spartan would be past him before he could react.

The other two warriors cautiously made their way to the exit, their Brute-shots aimed at the Spartans. They slipped under the door, leaving only Decimus and Atriox to face three Elder Demons. One of the humans began to edge away from his partners, likely trying to get a line on Decimus.

Atriox distracted them from that plan by lighting up Chainbreaker, bathing the hangar in red light. He needed to buy time for the drop ship to turn around and present the empty bay to allow Decimus and himself aboard.

"Shall we begin?" the Banished leader muttered in his deep baritone, just before he slammed Chainbreaker into the metal deck plating.

The modified gravity hammer did it's job, creating a wave of distortion that pushed the Demons back a step. Before he could lift Chainbreaker, though, the humans were already in motion. Several round pinged off his shields as the Demons reacted, their attention focused on the threat he posed.

Atriox released one hand from his weapon, letting the other lift it. His free hand shot forwards, aiming to grip the lead human around the neck.

The Spartan dodged his attempt, cutting to the side to avoid his outstretched fist. Atriox's other two opponents kept up their fire, quickly decreasing his shields even with their outdated firearms.

With a click, Atriox activated the gravity attractor on his weapon, catching one of the Demons off guard by the new and unusual ability. As the Spartan hit the end of Chainbreaker, Atriox grasped it with both hands and swept it back around.

As the first Demon was already within his sweep, Atriox continued the swing towards the third human. Another flick and the previously pinned Spartan on the end of his mace went flying, colliding with the third Spartan and putting them out of the fight for the moment.

Unluckily, this move had presented his side to the Demon right beside him, who made its presence known as Atriox felt a blade becoming jammed between his armor plates. The Demon tried to free its weapon, but failed as Atriox swept his arm back, catching the Spartan in the side and sending it into a roll that the human quickly recovered from.

By this point, the other two Demons were back in the fight, advancing rapidly behind the bursts of lead that issued from their weapons. Knowing that the knife had broken his shields, Atriox threw up an arm to let the armor plating take the projectiles instead of receiving any shots to the head.

Decimus stood out of the fight, letting his leader once more prove his strength. The general glanced back and noticed that the dropship had finished its turn, the maneuver seeming to take much longer than the several seconds that it had. He bellowed a warcry, letting Atriox know that their ride was ready and drawing a Spartans attention.

With one Demon recovering from Atriox's backhand, one now focused on Decimus, and the other running the clip of its weapon dry, the Jiralhanae took his chance and slammed his mace down, once more sending the Demons back a step at the shockwave the emanated from the center of impact.

Atriox quickly backed off, pulling out the knife in his side and letting it clatter to the deck. The Banished leader ducked behind his general, slipping under the jammed hangar door and into the relative safety of the transport. Decimus appeared a second later, shields glowing at the breaking point from the concentrated firepower of the humans.

"Was that really necessary?" Atriox's fellow Warlord asked, irritation clear in his tone.

Atriox huffed and replied, "Of course. A single Elder Demon is a worthy foe. To battle three, even if defeated by their hands, is an honor."

"And a good fight it was," Decimus agreed, letting the matter of his leader's recklessness drop in favor of acknowledging his battle prowess.

Atriox grinned and gently lowered Chainbreaker as the human ship shrunk into the distance, the view changing to stars as the transport quickly made its way to the _Conviction_. Standard procedure would have the troop bay doors closed, but the pilot knew the Jiralhanae leader's preferences and left it open.

" _Enduring Conviction_ , this is Atriox."

"Sir, _Enduring Conviction_ , responding," the communication officer's voice responded.

"Alert the humans, presence of Spartans is confirmed. Their status appears to be green," the Jiralhanae ordered.

"Yes, sir."

The trip was quickly over, the bay door still open even as the dropship entered the hangar. Before the transport could fully settle, Atriox hopped off, landing on the floor of the _Convicition'_ s hangar bay with a dull thud. He felt the impact beside him as his general dropped down as well.

Atriox turned slightly to address Decimus, "Good work. Tell the others to take a day off duty, their shifts will be covered." Decimus grunted his confirmation of the order and began making his was around the dropship. Atriox quickly made his way out of the hangar, back towards the bridge.

As he emerged, 'Volir turned his head slightly and inclined it in the common Jiralhanae gesture of respect to a superior. Atriox waved him off and stood behind the Sangheili shipmaster, letting him do his job. The trip to the human vessel had only taken a little over a unit, and most of that was walking through empty corridors.

'Volir was apparently not busy, though, as he asked, "Demons?" Atriox rubbed his side, where he could still feel the nick against his hide from the human's blade, but laughed slightly to show his pleasure with the fight.

"Elder Demons. A good fight," he responded.

"Against three Elders? You could've been killed with ease," 'Volir admonished.

Atriox huffed and replied, "The vaunted Sangheili bravery at work, I see."

"And the Brute earns his name," 'Volir retorted easily. Atriox scoffed but let the insult slide, the banter a common occurrence between the battle-hardened warriors.

A moment of silence passed before the Jiralhanae explained, "I needed a challenge. The crew is getting restless with these damned pirates, and the possibility of a human fleet entering the system doesn't help. I secure their confidence with the honor of fighting three Elder Demons while keeping on the good side of the Devil himself by recovering his battle-brothers."

"You do know that with the confirmed presence of three Elder Demons, their Master Chief himself might make an appearance in system," the Sangheili warned.

"So be it. Keep the ship alert and ready to jump. I'd rather not get ran over," Atriox replied. While it sounded like a joke, it was a legitimate danger if the Master Chief, or Devil as many now called him, made an inaccurate jump in a rush to retrieve his fellow Demons.

Falling into silence, both leaders watched the space in front of the ship. As they watched, a flash of swirling black ringed by a vortex of white burst into place, heralding the exit of an Infinity-class vessel. The human ship cleared the event horizon of the portal and the hole closed, showing off the improved human slip capabilities with such a clean entrance.

Seconds later, another portal opened, this time quickly disgorging the individual pieces of one the Guardians that made up the fleet of Demons. Atriox watched the two vessels drift towards the derelict he and his team had just left.

His attention was drawn down as the same communications officer who had talked to him while in flight reported, "Receiving hail from the humans."

"Open the link," 'Volir ordered. A screen opened at the front of the bridge, showing a human captain standing on the bridge of the vessel. From Atriox's knowledge of humans, he appeared to be of Asiatic descent.

"This is Captain Yang of the UNSC _Eternity_ , along with a UNSC Spartan Guardian, responding to a communication from the Banished vessel _Enduring Conviction_ reporting a lost UNSC vessel. Please confirm," the human quickly rattled off, the drone of procedure evident in his tone and stance.

'Volir quickly sent the logs of their time in system, knowing that the humans would request them anyways. He then replied, "Report confirmed, sending information now. We have performed a preliminary scouting and found multiple blast doors breached as well as compromised conditions. There was confirmed contact and combat with Spartans as our team was leaving."

Yang seemed to perk up slightly at this news. He knew that Spartans had been confirmed to be aboard, but he had probably assumed that they were in cryo or dead. The captain quickly gathered himself, "Understood. Casualties?"

"None, though it was hard fought," Atriox responded, baring his teeth in a Jiralhanae grin.

"Noted, glad to hear." While the human didn't actually seem to care that much, Atriox took what he could and grunted.

"We are in the system hunting a Kig-Yar pirate. Might the Demon's vessel be able to find them?" 'Volir asked, breaking the short silence that had followed Atriox's non-verbal response.

Yang turned away from the screen for a second to shout something to one of his crew. A response quickly came back, though it was unintelligible due to the angle. The human turned his attention back to the screen and answered, "They're sitting behind a planet further in-system. We'll deal with the _Spirit_ , you may do what you need to, but try to keep them away from our operation or the _Eternity_ will destroy them. And thank you, for letting us know about this." The last sentence was delivered hesitantly, the captain obviously unsure about the Banished but willing to at least work with them.

With that, the communication cut out, revealing the human and Forerunner vessels pulling away to attend to their disabled comrades. The stars in front of the _Conviction_ moved as the Banished carrier moved away from the rescue effort, following the coordinates sent to them by the humans on the Kig-Yar ship's position.

Merely a unit later, or a little more than a human hour, their work was done, the destroyed vessel drifting in two pieces with no survivors. Now finished with this hunt, the Banished flagship turned away, opening a slipspace portal and leaving the system. Behind them, the humans continued the rescue effort, ignoring the departure of the CAS-class carrier.

* * *

 **So it is. Hope you enjoy, and if you have any question please feel free to shoot over a PM. I tried to stay true to canon as usual while inserting my own flare. Next time, we'll be going to the Citadel to get some Mass Effect Wank in over there. This should be the last of the chapters devoted to setup on the Halo side. Well, that don't involved ME races. That's a whole different can of threshers!**

 **I know that the Banished exploration of the ship was quick, but not much to describe there. The fight between Atriox and the Spartan was meant to be quick, as it would be in canon, if 343i could pull their thinking device out of their main exhaust port and get ONE fight between a Spartan II and something right. They've now slowed down the Chief vs. Locke fight as well as Red Team vs. Atriox to where it looks like regular soldiers. FFS, 343i, Spartan IIs have reaction times fast enough to dodge rockets and even bullets in Spartan time. This isn't hard.**

 **Mandatory rambling:**

 **I've always wondered why Cortana didn't just store herself on the main hardware of the** _ **Dawn.**_ **I figured that it was perhaps because the ship had been split in half and perhaps the computing power of the vessel was focused around the bridge, where the Arbiter was. Serina going offline doesn't make sense to me, though, as with a whole ship she could set up a little program to activate her data disks when something happened. No need for her to stay awake the whole time as they drifted across space.**

 **I would assume the racks holding these disks would be in a room similar to that of Roland's in Spartan Ops. Since this area would have temperature control for heat regulation, long-term data storage would be easy, as it is usually temperature variations that cause degradation of disks.**

 **That is assuming the UNSC uses Hard Disks, which is unlikely since we already have Solid State technology today, and are developing data storage on an atomical level (IBM recently managed to store a data bit on an atom). Needless to say, I think most sci-fi (Mass Effect, Halo, Star Trek, Star Wars, Battlestar, whatever) vastly underestimate the computational power and methodology of futuristic architecture and instruction sets.**

 **Speaking of computing technology, the whole section on UNSC computing methodology and technology is drawn from our current leading-edge research on those subjects. Humans possess a working Quantum computer. We are looking into the use of DNA as a carrier for bits, which can be processed by a ribosome that has been given instructions by mRNA. We use light channels in fiber optics and even in some super-computer processors to transmit data, a method that is only being slowed by the translation of light to electric signals.**

 **Mass Effect canon is that Citadel-race sensors only operate at light speed, ergo the need for picket frigates for spotting. Halo sensors seem to be operating at faster than light-speed, as seen when slipspace ruptures were detected immediately after the destruction of the CSO-class supercarrier** _ **Long Night of Solace**_ **.**

 **Citadel ships use anti-protons injected into a hydrogen-filled chamber, annihilating both to create excellent propulsion and a LOT of heat. We here in the 21st century create antimatter at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. So...yeah. We could have Citadel-style engines for propulsion within the next century.**

 **UNSC ships use Fusion drives, which utilizes the plasma created from the deuterium reaction as propellant. The** _ **Infinity**_ ' **s drives are actually repulsor engines, though. Covenant ships use Impulse drives. Forerunner ships like the** _ **Dauntless**_ **would use reaction drives. The difference? Fusion drives would need to refuel every couple decades or so, perhaps less if the reaction yield is sustained and efficient. Impulse drives would need to be refueled regularly, as seen in Halo: Reach with refueling at the** _ **Long Night of Solace**_ **. I assume Forerunner engines need to be refueled once every never or so, seeing as the Mantle's Approach worked just fine after sitting around for 100,000 years.**

 **Let 'Volir is the canon Shipmaster of the** _ **Enduring Conviction**_ **. I don't really like his name, but that's what it is. Going to be getting to the actual contact between factions here soon, sorry for all the setup. This is not the last of the Banished, either. I like Atriox as a character, and having an independent faction like the Banished puts up some interesting options.**

 **I also don't get why he was fighting against the humans. I get that he wants power, but even if he does get a Halo ring as was his plan in Halo Wars 2, how exactly does he plan on keeping Cortana from getting it or from the monitor killing all of his forces? I've edited it so that Atriox is actually clever and not the typical brute that I think he was in HW2.**

 **Thanks for reading, GL and TC!**

 _-evevee_


	5. Meet and Greet

Disclaimer: I own no franchise mentioned in this work. Halo belongs to 343, Mass Effect to Bioware.

 _ **IMPORTANT NOTE:**_

 **I have removed mention of the Dreadnought-class from earlier.**

 **I have also lowered the SA population from three to one billion.**

 **Reasoning for both at bottom.**

 **This is a repost of the original chapter. I apologize for the confusion with updates, I meant to update/replace chapter, not delete.**

 _ **END**_ _**OF IMPORTANCE**_

 **This chapter brought to you by Insomnia: keeping evevee up and looking for something to do since her sophomore year of high school.**

 **On the other hand, I did get this chapter done, so huzzah for that. Albeit, it was at 6 in the morning after having written a weird paper that crossed over from Technical Comms into Comp. Sci., tried to edit out the nonsense my addled mind came up with, but doubt I got it all. Enjoy!**

 **Now for Review Responses! If you don't care, skip to the breakpoint below. For responses, later reviews will be listed first, because I'm lazy and can't be bothered to reverse-order them.**

 **Thank you to all reviewers not explicitly mentioned here. Some I responded to in a PM, so I won't go back over it. If someone wants clarification on something mentioned in a review, feel free to ask. Attempting to shorten this response section.**

 **Guest #1: A war is not won by what advantages are had at the beginning but by the people fighting in those battles. A society that does not want to fight shall not find victory. The UNSC has just come out of a 30-year war, don't exactly think that they'll be up for a fight unless explicitly attacked. They don't need advantages to win, they would need public support.**

 **Fernix13: Glad you enjoyed it! Agreed on the CAS scene with Jerome, that was actually how a Spartan operates. As I said before, Covenant viewed CQC with Spartans as suicide.**

 **Guest #2: I won't be increasing the Citadel just to be even with the Wardens. As you might see here, they will be powerful and numerous, but there is a reason why I'm not giving the Citadel new toys. While the UNSC came out with the UNSC Infinity and other advancements, the Citadel tech has stayed the same for around two millennia in ME canon. If they had some improvements, I could do that, but they haven't earned their stripes in my opinion. There are some options I'm exploring, however, for colonization and the such.**

 **Prince Sheogorath: First of all, excellent name. CHEEESE! Second, There will be reasons why that particular strategy will** _ **not**_ **work. It's kind of complex and I don't want to spoil it, so if you'd like to hear, send over a PM and I can explain.**

 **RedShirt047: Hrm, understood on the Galactica side. Star Trek overall is fairly good, especially some stuff on Data in TNG. I think that their output is somewhat odd looking, but limitations of the time. The newer Trek movies look better, albeit with many lense-flares. True on holographic screens, we even have them to the point that they can feel physical using speakers to emulate feeling in the finger tips. Indeed, Brian Reed seems to be gone! Don't know how much bullshit was him and how much was corporate jerking him around, guess we'll see if things get better.**

 **Dragonnargus: Yes, the SA and UEG are currently both in existence, though unaware of each other's survival. The Banished/SoF interaction happened after the SoF met the SA group. It is the same ship.**

 **To those who are asking for quicker updates, I'm sorry to say that I will be away from a computer for the next three weeks. The very earliest I could get another update out would be June 4th. After that I can try to do every two weeks, but to be honest if I can increase my output at all, it will be three.**

* * *

 **8th Day of 10th Month, 2437 (May 13, 2566)**

 **First Task Force of CEF 29**

 **En-Route to Intergalactic Relay**

Garrus couldn't help but shift his position as the clock counting down to their exit from FTL neared zero. He had just entered the bridge minutes earlier to relieve the night crew and prepare for their arrival to the main Council foothold in this galaxy. All systems were reporting as nominal and communications had already compiled the reports from the 29th's encounter to send over the comm-buoys.

With all necessary tasks ready to be carried out upon their arrival, Garrus and the rest of the bridge crew sat back and watched the stars fly by. As the clock hit zero, the flashing lights of FTL and vanished, replaced by the scene of the main Citadel Council beachhead in this galaxy.

The planet of Luestea was a barren rock, surrounded by ships and stations that had been erected to handle the logistics of the missions in this galaxy, missions similar or identical to that of the 29th CEF.

Various constructs were visible from points of light on the surface, all housing supplies and teams to protecting them from the vacuum that constituted the environment on the planet. Orbiting the planet was the Trans-Galactic Super Relay that connected the forces in this galaxy to the Citadel and civilization.

To the sides of the _Covenant_ , the rest of the First Task Force dropped out of FTL, providing an escort for the flagship of the 29th. The rest of the fleet had returned to the base that they had set up to resupply and relax. The First would do the same here while Garrus' ship went ahead to the Citadel to report first contact in person, as was procedure. When the _Covenant_ returned from their home galaxy, the First would load enough supplies to keep the rest of the 29th operating independently.

With all ships accounted for and in formation, the small group moved forward, moving into high orbit along the path given to them by system flight control. As they began to establish an approach trajectory, Garrus noticed the markers of the CEF 7th clustered tightly around a group of ships.

A couple adjustments on his control panel and the scene was enhanced as the cameras focused on the vessels. To his surprise, along with that of the bridge crew, the ships sitting in the center of the 7th were recognizable as part of the alien faction that the 29th had encountered.

Garrus sat back in surprise but quickly reacted, "Commander Eudolin, contact the leader of the 7th."

The second in command of the _Covenant_ quickly turned to the communications console at her side and set up a link to the flagship of the 7th. Within seconds, a response came in as the CEF on the main screen was replaced with the leader of the same. Seeing the symbol of the SPECTRE's on the Turian's armor, Garrus saluted.

A second passed as the Spectre returned the salute before speaking, "I am Saren Arterius, Spectre of the Citadel Council and leader of the 7th Citadel Exploratory Fleet. Why have you contacted me?"

"This is Garrus Vakarian, Captain of the THV _Covenant_ and 29th Citadel Exploratory Fleet. I noticed the ships in the center of your formation are, well, not Turian. We encountered some of the same ships out on the front edge of exploration. May we talk with them?" Garrus asked.

Saren shook his head once and replied, "No, I have been ordered by the Council to minimize contact. We will escort them to the Council, where introductions can begin. I was waiting for your ship to join us, Captain. You technically found them first, although you appear to have failed to make first contact."

"We will join with your Fleet right away," Garrus replied, trying to keep his annoyance at the Spectre's insinuation in check. Making a snarky response to a Citadel Spectre could either be amusing or career-ending.

"Excellent, we will leave immediately." With that, the communication cut out. Garrus let out a scoff at the typical Hierarchy efficiency.

Eudolin looked back from her position at a console and commented, "Pleasant sort, he is."

"He's a Spectre, they get the job done. He may be more pleasant when he doesn't have an alien fleet up his ass," Garrus responded.

His second in command let out a laugh and turned around. Lieutenant Acharian kept silent and piloted the _Covenant_ to follow the rest of the 7th through the Super-Relay while the First continued on their route to Luestea. Garrus could see the broken reflection of a slight smile on her face from her console, however.

* * *

 **16th Day of 10th Month, 2437 (May 23, 2566)**

 **7th Citadel Exploratory Fleet, THV** _ **Covenant**_

 **En-Route to Citadel**

The flashing light of relay travel faded away as the THV _Covenant_ and the 7th exited the Mass Effect corridor of the Relay. Garrus glanced out the side of the cockpit to see the Relay floating next to them in the void, the elongated tips pointing back the way they came. His attention was drawn away from that view as the human ships appeared next to the Turian vessels, their crude designs contrasting greatly to the Citadel vessels.

Lieutenant Acharian was already at work, directing the ship to fall back into formation after the drift from the relay travel. Before them, specks of light could be seen moving against the purple nebula that encompassed the massive Citadel. Endless line of ships supplied, transported, and otherwise sustained the population on the isolated seat of government, all under the watchful eye of the Defense Fleet.

As the CEF 7th and guests made their way from the relay, the great monument to galactic civilization that was the Citadel slowly began to appear. Around it, the hundreds of ships of the Citadel Defense Fleet formed a veritable wall of ships, barring any would-be enemies from directly attacking the center of the now-intergalactic government.

The Defense Fleet was actually several fleets put together, albeit with most of the firepower coming from the Turians, as usual. The Asari had their First and Third Fleets present, along with the massive _Destiny Ascension_. With these forces present, Asari fleet numbers sat at around 300 ships devoted to the Citadel, with six dreadnoughts when not including the _Ascension_ , 100 cruisers, and 200 frigates.

Remaining Asari fleets were stationed around the galaxy and at Asari worlds, with the Second and Fourth fleets providing protection for colonies, the Fifth and Seventh helping in relay patrols, and the dreaded Sixth protected Thessia itself. Nine other Asari fleets drifted between worlds and performed various policing activities as needed in their territory. As the second largest power in the galaxy next to the Turians, sixteen fleets provided plenty of firepower to back up Asari claims.

Salarians only had a single fleet present, but instead of joining the main body, the 100-strong group of stealth-capable cruisers and frigates were positioned around the system for an early warning and flanking force if an attack occurred. Hard-hitting but unable to engage in extended combat, the duty of the Salarian Second Stealth fleet was directed force in combat to push at enemy weak points and tilt a battle in favor of the CDF.

The Salarians only had two fleets of direct combat vessels, both of which were positioned above their homeworld. These two groups contained the seven existing Salarian dreadnoughts, as stealth-capable dreadnoughts were seen as ineffective considering their intimidation factor in a fight. Although it wouldn't surprise Garrus if the STG had indeed created and built several stealth dreadnoughts, if only to prove that they could.

Eight other stealth fleets patrolled the galaxy, providing the STG with the unmatched intelligence gathering capabilities they were known for. Even with only eleven fleets, nine of which were mostly burst-damage or intelligence in a fight, the Salarians still easily held the third most powerful military by numbers.

Contributions by the Turians made up the main bulk of the mass of ships. Whereas the Asari and Salarians could patrol their own space but tended to hesitate in devoting forces outside of that area, the Turians had plenty of power to spare in picking up the slack. At the Citadel were a full eight Turian fleets, a full fourth of their navy and slightly more than that in actual numbers. This assignment brought the Turian numbers to well over 1600 vessels in the region, with around 200 ships per fleet.

Instead of devoting multiple dreadnoughts to their fleets like the Asari and Salarians, the Turians had only sent one massive ship to lead each fleet, relying on the number of fleets to bolster heavy-hitters. Each fleet used a proportion of one-third of the fleet being cruisers and the remaining two-thirds made of frigate packs.

The remaining 24 Turian fleets were divided across the galaxy, with eight left to Turian space, six to patrol the edges of the Terminus, two to patrol Citadel space, and the last eight to remain on guard against a possible Geth attack. While they had not heard or seen anything from the Geth in the 42 years since the Geth War and the Quarian flight to Citadel space, all races were still concerned with the potential threat that the AI collective presented.

As Garrus thought about it, he mentally admitted that he would also not be surprised if the STG had deployed several of their fleets for intel collection near or even inside of the Perseus Veil. With the threat of the Geth and many new ships being devoted to the Citadel Exploratory Fleets, intelligence gathering for advance warning of an attack would be crucial.

Within minutes, such thoughts were far from Garrus' mind as the glorious Defense Fleet passed by the windows of the _Covenant_ , letting the relatively small CEF by. If the new species hadn't been impressed yet, then this would certainly encourage them to join the Council, and in the process allow the CEFs into their territory. It would provide an excellent opportunity for the 29th to accelerate their exploration and create a safe area to retreat to in case of a hostile alien force.

Of course, that was assuming that these unknowns were open to allowing Citadel forces in their territory. Hopefully they wouldn't pitch a fit about a few fleets like the Batarians.

With the Defense Fleet behind them and the massive Citadel in front, Garrus let his focus drift to the wards extending from the ring holding them together 90 Citadel kilometers away. The massive leafs flashed by as the 7th CEF received a flight path to join the ships that held position around the station as their crews took shuttles to hangars on the Citadel.

Instead of joining them, the _Covenant_ , Saren's current ship, and the leading alien vessel continued towards the larger hangars of the Presidium. Large enough to hold frigates, these hangars were typically used when greeting new races, so as to give them a favorable and formidable view of Council might and beauty.

The group quickly reached their destination as the arm beside them curved in to connect with the Presidium ring. While the _Covenant_ and Saren's vessel executed a quick turn with their powerful antiproton engines, the alien ship struggled to follow suite as their inefficient fusion engines drew heavily on their core.

Eventually the alien ship managed to align itself with the flight path provided and fell in behind the two CEF flagships. With their formation in order for the cameras, the trio flew forwards into the spacious hangar they had been directed to.

Unlike the regular hangars of the Citadel, where the parked vessel would be held in clamps and an airlock used for access to pressurized sections, the diplomatic hangar was merely a massive cavern with a flat floor. Frigates and smaller craft could land to allow passengers off to greet the press in an open space instead of the cramped hallways of an airlock.

A small jolt rocked the _Covenant_ slightly as the frigate set down on the floor alongside Saren's ship. The alien craft once more lagged behind as it set down between and slightly behind the two Turian ships.

Garrus rose from his seat as the large hangar doors closed behind the trio of ships, sealing the space and allowing it to be pressurized. As he left, he called behind him, "XO has the bridge."

"XO has the bridge," Commander Eudolin replied, moving from her station to take a seat in the captain's chair.

As the door to the bridge closed behind him, Garrus activated his communications link, "Security team to port airlock, full kit. Mordin Solus to port airlock, bring metal samples and full kit." With that done, Garrus made his way to the armory to pick up his own weapon.

Now armed, he quickly made his way to the spot designated, an Armax Crossfire Assault Rifle slung across his back. Mordin and the usual security team were already assembled at the exit, each armed and armored.

Garrus returned their greetings and hit the panel to cycle the airlock door. According to the interface, the atmosphere outside had stabilized to an acceptable level, but all members of the team kept their suits sealed in case of pathogens from the aliens.

The door behind them closed, sealing the six turians and one salarian inside for a short few seconds before the outer hatch on the hull open to allow them to step down onto the hangar floor. Across from them, turians from Saren's crew were doing the same, with the Spectre himself leading them. Garrus nodded slightly when the Council agent looked over at him, letting the much more experienced operative take the lead.

Saren examined him for a short second before tilting his head slightly towards the alien ship, which had settled directly onto the floor of the hangar, revealing a distinct lack of landing gear. As the Spectre made his way to the starboard side of the craft, Garrus led his team to join him, forming a welcoming party for the unknowns.

Undoubtedly the Citadel Council would be waiting at the Citadel Tower in the middle of the Presidium ring. C-Sec was probably holding the press and citizens out of the hangar, along with clearing a path to the Tower.

Instead of sending a greeting party of unfamiliar faces to the aliens, the personnel that had made First Contact would meet the unknowns in person, so as to give a feeling of familiarity. The only reason the _Covenant_ was allowed to attend this was due to its contact with one of their groups out in the unexplored regions of the new galaxy.

With a pneumatic hiss, the hatch to the inside of the alien craft slid away when the group of turians approached. Several heavily armored aliens dropped out, weapons in hand but barrels lowered. While the firearms looked like Mass Effect weaponry, they were far more bulky than Garrus was used to seeing. Of course, seeing as how this race seemed to have only recently come into contact with Eezo, that was unsurprising.

Each soldier wore identical armor, colored blue and white with their arrowhead symbol positioned proudly on their chests. Saren ignored the common soldiers and looked to a different figure dropping down behind them. Considering the extra pins on the alien's chest and how the Spectre's attention was already on it, Garrus deduced that this must be someone of importance on the alien vessel.

The being quickly made his way to the front of his team, glancing at Garrus before concentrating on Saren. As he spoke, his words were translated into Turian, "Greetings, Spectre Arterius. Thank you for allowing us into your territory and for the opportunity for peaceful contact." Garrus labeled it a he, as its voice sounded male.

Saren lifted his chin and replied, "Welcome to the Citadel, Captain Iman. This is the center of the intergalactic alliance of the Citadel Council. Please follow."

"One second. Udina, we're clear!" the alien shouted behind him. Another being appeared at the door to the shuttle, awkwardly jumping down. It was obvious that this one was either not accustomed to its armor or it was a civilian. Now at the head of his group of nine, the captain turned back to Saren and nodded.

The Council Spectre took a second to eye the new arrival before leading the group towards the hangar exit. The door to the Presidium opened to the shouts of civilian news reporters. All were competing to get a spot on the frontlines, with each spouting off questions.

These attempts were dutifully ignored by both parties as they made their way along the path cleared by C-Sec. After they had cleared that throng, the standard walk out to the Citadel Tower followed. Quiet reigned over the group as they made their way to the Council along the route given to them by the station VI.

While the route to the Tower was usually filled with people, C-Sec had blocked off the entrance and only allowed their group on. The aliens hadn't complained, but they were being oddly quiet while looking around the area.

As they reached the base of the massive structure that housed the Council chambers, the aliens looked up to the top of the Tower. Bypassing the outer lift that was meant for smaller groups, Saren led them to a larger elevator specifically for diplomatic trips such as this, where more room would possibly be needed.

The slow ride up was slightly awkward as the aliens maintained their silence. Eventually, the platform stopped and the doors opened to the spacious Council Chambers that sat atop the Tower. The group made their way down the corridor, the walls of the chamber rising up on either side before splitting off to reveal the massive hall.

As they climbed the steps up to the guest podium, the three Councillors became visible. A flock of news drones hovered off to the sides, providing live feeds for the news stations to use. The turian security teams stayed off the main strip of the platform, instead taking position at the end. C-Sec officers lined the walls of the chamber, providing overwatch in case of an issue with the new arrivals. While unlikely, caution was warranted when unknowns were meeting the three most powerful people in the galaxy.

Garrus, Mordin, and Saren fell back from the lead, letting the two aliens pass them by. The one that went by the name Udina was obviously in his element with the upcoming political discussions. With a confident stride, he made his way to the podium to address the Council.

Captain Iman seemed fine with that arrangement, as he fell into step behind his fellow being but in front of Saren. The rest of the aliens stayed with them, each looking around at the scenery. It was impossible to tell what their reactions were beneath their helmets, not like it would matter as their expressions would be alien anyways.

The walkway ended about ten meters from the Councillors. Separating the two was a glass floor with curved supports holding the panes in place. Trees could be seen growing below, species from different worlds living together on the Citadel, just as the species that found them did.

As Udina stopped in front of the Council, the Asari Councillor spoke, "Welcome to the Citadel. My name is Tevos, Asari Councillor and representative of the Asari Republics on the Citadel Council."

"Councillor Valern, Salarian, of the Salarian Union," the rightmost being stated quickly.

The Turian representative glanced to his left at his comrade's quick speech before turning his attention back to the aliens. "Councillor Sparatus, Turian Hierarchy," he said in the typical military fashion of the turians. Each councillor had spoken in Turian, as that was the only language that the aliens seemed to have translated.

"Thank you for your welcome, Councillors. I am Donnel Udina, representative of the Systems Alliance to the Citadel Council. Our species is known as Humanity. We hope that peaceable relations may grow between us and for all of our species to prosper from this momentous event."

Tevos took the lead as she responded, "Well said. May we speak without the barrier of helmets and masks? I assure you, the Citadel is perfectly clean, and any possible diseases will be dealt with by the Keepers."

The human didn't hesitate, his diplomatic skills overcoming the doubt that must have been present. With a deft motion, the helmet seals were broken, although no hiss of air was heard due to the atmosphere of the Citadel being close to that of the human's suits.

As the headpiece was pulled up and away, Garrus noticed the looks of surprise on the Council's faces. Looking to the side at the human Captain, Garrus found an odd asari staring back at him, helmet under its arm. The usual effeminate features of the asari were lacking, but the general facial structure and body shape fit.

Garrus caught Saren looking back at the other humans, who still had their helmets on. As the Spectre turned back around, he caught Garrus' eye and quietly cursed, "Spirits." Garrus subtly nodded in agreement.

Their attention was drawn back to the proceedings as Udina spoke, "As you can see, we may have a lot more in common that you'd think. A surprise to my people as much as it seems to be a surprise to you."

"Very interesting. The odds of such similarities are small. Very small," Valern stated as he glanced between Tevos and Udina.

Tevos ignored the mutterings of her fellow and replied, "So it would seem. Few species are so willing to expose themselves to the unknown as your's has. Would our similarities be part of that?"

"It does help, but our species has a handle on medical technologies. Even if a virus were to somehow be compatible between our species, cures can be found," Udina explained.

"Cures may be shared as well, if our common appearances stretch further. It would be very interesting for our people to look deeper into our semblance. It is standard for negotiations for joining the Citadel to begin with a sharing of history, to find what may bind us together and what lessons may be learned."

The political maneuvering had Garrus trying not to react. Neither side wanted to be the first to ask the other to join, as it would convey a weakness to exploit. He had to give it to the human, though, for a new race on the galactic stage they played the games of the Citadel well. Hopefully that was just their politicians, as Garrus had taken command of the CEF 29 to get away from the political nonsense.

"That sounds like an excellent proposition, Councillor. The Systems Alliance is the interstellar body that represents Terra and her colonies. All members of the Alliance are autonomous bodies, nationstates that rule the ground while the Alliance guards the skies. General governing of the Alliance is undertaken by the Parliament, a group of individuals sent by the nationstates of each planet to represent their interests," Udina started as Captain Iman took his fellow's helmet.

The human leaned on the edge of the podium as he continued, "Our state was established on Terra twelve years ago, in 2145, which corresponds to 2425 by your calendar. We were fleeing persecution and an authoritarian government that was on the verge of annihilation."

Sparatus held up a hand to ask, "You are not a unified race? There may be other factions that we encounter?"

"We were not unified, Councillor. There was an ongoing conflict that was catastrophic for multiple worlds. Fighting was not an option with the large number of civilians that joined us to flee the area," Udina explained carefully.

"This would imply that Terra is not your homeworld," Valern said, connecting the two points in the conversation.

Udina nodded, "That is correct. Our homeworld was lost to the enemy, so we fled to our current home in the Perseus arm of our galaxy."

"Where was your homeworld?" the Salarian Councillor asked bluntly.

"In the Orion arm, approximately 11,000 light-years from Terra."

Valern looked surprised before responding, "That would take years, even at constant FTL."

The human lowered his eyes, lost in thought as he responded, "It was a hard journey. Most went into cryo, but a few were still awake. The journey took almost 11 years. Hundreds of thousands died from malfunctions."

"That many?" Tevos asked, obviously aghast at the news. Garrus and the other Councillors shared her surprise at the statistic.

"350 million survived, but the losses were still terrible. As we have established our home, more have followed us."

"Impressive. What is your current population?" Tevos inquired.

"At this time, we are nearing one billion people, but new arrivals from our old areas have ceased, so our growth rate is down from nine to about four percent."

Valern spoke once more, "The number of ships required to transfer the beings required for that growth would be quite large."

"Many were transported on colony ships, massive vessels that were devoted to getting as much to a location as possible," Udina explained.

Garrus narrowed his eyes in thought before stepping forward, drawing the Council's attention as he requested, "Permission to speak?"

"Granted," Tevos replied.

"I believe we encountered one of these colony ships making its way through the void. We tried to contact the crew and got no response, and when your vessels arrived they also ignored our hails," Garrus stated to the human.

Udina looked back to the human captain, prompting him to step forward and explain, "Captain Saeed Iman, SSV _Cobra_. What you encountered was a Phoenix-class colony ship that had lost its FTL drive. We knew the ship was present, but did not attempt to reclaim it until your vessels were detected approaching."

"Why not?"

"The ship was heading back towards the old homeland. We couldn't risk jumping in and being detected, but we had to when you were detected to prevent the crew from falling into possibly hostile hands. When you proved to be at least willing to be friendly, we made contact with your 7th fleet," the human said.

"What were those holes that your ships entered and exited with? Some used that method while others were using conventional Eezo FTL drives."

"That is known as a slipspace portal. It was our main method of transportation until we found Mass Effect technology," Iman explained.

Ever curious, Valern once more asked, "Why did you leave it behind for Mass Effect?"

"Slipspace travel takes far more energy and is far slower. We also did not carry the technology or knowledge to create more slipspace drives. Where our Eezo FTL allows us speeds of around nine light-years per day, slipspace only allowed us about two and a half light-years per day," the captain explained.

"You still keep your vessels with this technology?" the salarian asked, obviously interested in acquiring it.

Udina nodded his fellow human and stepped up to take his place, "We have eliminated all technology relating to slipspace, Councillors. The portals you saw were some of our last drives in action, but the ships they were on did have Eezo cores as well. Slipspace entries and exits give off a whisper that can be detected for light-years. The danger of enemies was too high to continue to keep the technology for the few benefits it had. Slipspace drives are also almost impossible to maintain once active."

Valern leaned back at this news to think for a second before replying, "Indeed, would make stealth-craft unviable. Very slow, but no static discharge necessary. Danger to personnel unacceptable, failure in mid-flight also unacceptable."

"Took samples from ship. Apologies for holes, area was depressurized. Needed to assess status of crew by boarding," Mordin mentioned in his clipped speech. As he spoke, he took out the chunk of metal that had been cut from the blast door on board the human colony ship.

Iman held out his hand for the metal and examined it when Mordin handed it over. He eventually handed it back to the salarian scientist and explained, "Titanium-A, molecularly reinforced, commonly used for ship hulls in the days before our exodus."

"Why move away? Very strong, easy to produce," Mordin countered.

"Typical ship armor would be around a meter of plating, adding huge mass to a ship. With Kinetic Barriers, we could use lighter armor with less mass. Titanium-A is better in thick plate and not the thin ablative armor of our current vessels. We still have several ships using titanium hulls, but they are being phased out."

Mordin considered this before responding, "Understood. Council armor also thin, ablative to allow heat dispersion."

Sparatus waited until the salarian was done before asking, "How did you find Mass Effect? Our exploration fleets have found no signs of any deposits."

"To continue with our history and answer your question, Councillor, I must first explain how we chose Terra as our new home," Udina stated.

"When we were first setting off for the journey, we gathered our fleet of craft around a planet and scanned space for some indication of where we should go. Even with each colony ship filled with 25,000, there were still several million that had fled in evacuation transports, cargo vessels, or private craft. Ultimately, the assembled fleet consisted of almost 15,000 vessels."

At the looks of shock on the Councillors faces, Udina reassured them, "You must remember that most of these were transports designed for massive population displacement. Without the limitations of Eezo cores, our ships were large enough to evacuate tens of thousands on each ship."

"This fleet of vessels along with continuing arrivals would indicate that you are a society that has great experience with spaceflight," Valern pointed out.

"Less so than you would think, Councillor. We had so many ships because we were unable to leave our home system for so long," Udina explained.

As the Council thought about his argument, he continued, "Such a fleet had never been seen before by our species. With this number of ships all searching for a sign of guidance, we found something. A signal, tens of thousands of years old, leading us to Terra."

"When we arrived, we found a verdant world, seemingly untouched. As our new home grew around us from the bodies of the ships we had traveled in, a team investigated the origin of our guide. We found a massive cache of Eezo, apparently stored there by a species that called themselves 'Prothean'."

The reactions of surprise from the Council were instant. Udina appeared unsure if that was good or bad as he stood there, waiting for the inevitable questions. Tevos was the first to speak, having kept her composure, "The Protheans are an ancient race that built the Citadel and Mass Relay network. They were thought to be extinct, although the exact means as to how this happened remain a mystery. Was there any information at this site?"

"Data in the ruins was stored inside some form of block. According to those who touched it, images were transferred into their minds of the Protheans downfall to something that they called the Reapers. Apparently this small group of Prothean Eezo transports had been fleeing the Reapers when they found what you call the Super-Relay. With no choice, they activated it and went through," Udina explained.

Valern questioned, "If these Reapers were able to destroy a civilization such as the Protheans, why wouldn't they use the Intergalactic Relay to conquer your galaxy as well?"

Udina shrugged and replied, "That is something that the Protheans did not know, or if they did, record. All we know is that they made it through the Super-Relay, only to find that the other side was not active. They figured that the Reapers had shut down the Relay, but no attempts were made to reactivate it seeing as their inevitable death waited on the other side."

"The Protheans made their way to Terra, built a base there, and stayed in cryo for several hundred years. The last images indicate that the Protheans had awoken and were heading back through the Relay to stop the Reapers, with flashing images of this station appearing. Seeing as you have never met a Prothean, I assume that they failed."

Sparatus scoffed slightly as Udina finished, "We have seen no sign of these Reapers, only Prothean Beacons which usually contain segmented and distorted images. You want us to believe that some random Beacon happens to not only be fully functioning, but also holds the answer to how the Protheans disappeared? I understand that Humanity is at least passably experienced in interstellar flight, but if this story were true, wouldn't the Reapers still exist?"

"We don't claim to know that, Councillor. We only know what is on the object, or Beacon as you call it," Udina retorted.

Tevos glanced at the Turian Councillor in what looked to Garrus to be annoyance before addressing the human once more, "Thank you for telling us this, Representative. While interesting, the lack of evidence of these Reapers casts great doubt onto your story."

"I understand, Councillor, and hope that our meeting may help both of us determine the veracity of these claims," Udina said. He tried to continue, but was cut off by Sparatus.

"What of access to these ruins, and the stores of Eezo contained within? Citadel law states that all Prothean discoveries are to be shared, so that all may prosper."

Garrus bit back a remark about how humanity wasn't part of the Citadel Council and therefore was not subject to their laws. Tevos appeared to be thinking the same thing, as she closed her eyes for a few seconds in frustration, although Garrus had to commend her discipline in keeping her expression straight.

Udina frowned at the blunt statement but respectfully responded, "We are not a member of the Citadel community and therefore not beholden to your rules, Councillor. You are welcome to come study the ruins and Beacon to see for yourself what we have discovered. As for the Mass Effect discovered in the ruins, it is the only known Mass Effect in our galaxy. How it is created and why it only appears in this galaxy is unknown. It may have something to do with the Reapers, or not. Either way, humanity will not, cannot, share its one source of Mass Effect."

Before any of the Councillors could interrupt him, Udina continued, "Mass Effect has impacted almost every part of human culture and technology. We have replaced old nuclear reactors with Eezo cores, our weapons utilize it, and our infrastructure relies on it. If humanity is to join the galactic community, we must be able to have access to Element Zero."

So the meat of the discussions was brought up. Garrus thought it odd that the human played so hard to get when it came to weaknesses, but then brought up a situation that screamed that they had to join the Citadel to get access to Mass Effect.

"With our current amount, we have expanded greatly, building new colonies and fleets. While we have yet to get close to running out of Mass Effect, the preparations to save your galaxy from the Reapers must continue if you are to stand a chance against them. Presenting a unified front between our species would protect the Council all the better," Udina stated before any of the Councillors could speak.

Garrus upped his respect for the human with how he had played that. First admit a massive weakness, then claim that the Council needed protection from a threat in front of the watching galaxy. If the Council ignored the idea, it would be an insult to the humans and possibly compromise their standing with their one source of information in the Andromeda galaxy.

To agree with the humans, however, meant conceding that the Reapers were real and allowing humanity to expand their naval capabilities. The way in which the human had presented the idea of a unified fighting force also seemed to imply that the humans thought themselves equal to the Council.

Tevos smiled and responded, "I am glad to hear that a new species is so eager to join the intergalactic community! Before we begin, however, the history of the Citadel Council should be presented."

While the Asari Councillor's face showed no sign of irritation, Sparatus did not hold back his frown of disdain at the comment. Garrus glanced over to Saren and was surprised to see a look of contemplation instead of annoyance on the Spectre.

"I look forward to hearing it," Udina responded politely, drawing Garrus' attention back to the proceedings.

"The Citadel was found in -80 Galactic Standard by the Asari. The Salarians joined us and formed the Citadel Council in 0 GS. Many of the species of the Citadel were found in the next 500 years, many of which are still with us today," Tevos began.

Sparatus took up the narrative, "A species called the Rachni was encountered soon after, which led to war. With Council forces stressed to keep the ground forces at bay, the Krogan were uplifted in 580, allowing us to push back their forces and eventually eliminate the threat by year 800."

Udina appeared surprised by this and asked, "You were engaged in a war that lasted 300 years? The casualties must have been horrendous."

"The Council had the upper hand in space warfare, but eventually numbers were able to drive our forces back. At the time, the only planets close to the battles were colonies which were easily evacuated. Including krogan deaths, total deaths from the war were estimated to be around one billion soldiers and several hundred thousand civilians," Sparatus answered.

Udina bowed his head for a second before looking up as the turian continued, "After the extermination of the Rachni, there was peace for four centuries. This period saw the great expansion of the Krogan, but that ended in 1200 when the Krogan Rebellions began as they invaded the planets of other Council races."

"The Turians were found shortly after the Rebellions began, and we drove back the Krogan menace so that they could never again threaten the galaxy. By 1210, the population of the Krogan was in decline, and by 1300 the Rebellions were over. The Krogan destroyed three entire Turian worlds and invaded many other worlds of the Council, resulting in three billion Krogan and Citadel deaths."

Valern finished the narrative, "Once more there was peace, until in 2395 the Quarians unleashed the Geth upon themselves. While we have waited for any expansion from the hostile AIs, there have not been any signs of further attacks. The Geth War lasted less than a year, and resulted in the defeat of the Quarians and the slaughter of millions of their race. Having seen the dangers of AI, the Council requires that all ongoing research into AI be stopped and banned."

"We have several projects looking into AI, Councillor. You would require us to throw all that away?" the human asked.

Sparatus responded, "AI is too dangerous to develop. Having one rouge race of them is enough."

"What does that ban entail? Just the development of AI, or the hardware to run them?"

"All development must be halted and quantum boxes discarded," Valern explained.

"This is one of several important agreements that must be adhered to if you are to join the Citadel community," Tevos said.

Udina narrowed his eyes and asked, "As for the other limitations?"

"The Treaty of Farixen limits the number of dreadnoughts that any race may possess. The Turians currently operate 37 such ships, which means that humanity may construct no more than seven," Sparatus answered.

Valern gave his input, "Opening Mass Relays without Council permission is also forbidden."

"Humanity plans to expand in our galaxy, with only a few colonies for Mass Effect over here. Mass Relay openings will not be an issue from the Systems Alliance. What is defined as a dreadnought?" Udina asked.

"Any ship that is over two Citadel kilometers long and has a main mass accelerator that runs eighty percent or more of this length," the Turian Councillor replied.

Udina paused before asking, "What do you define as a kilometer?"

Valern perked up at this question, "1000 meters."

"Base 10, good. How long is one meter?" came the inevitable query.

"Since seconds were established first, the distance is measured though one second divided by the distance that light travels in one second," Valern responded, humor tinging his voice.

"How long is one second?" Udina asked, amusement obvious at the rabbit hole they were going into.

Saren spoke up to answer, "One of your seconds is two of ours."

"Two of our kilometers is one human kilometer, then," Valern declared victoriously.

"Indeed. So any ship greater than one human kilometer, or two Citadel kilometers. That works out quite nicely, doesn't it?" Udina asked, slightly suspicious at the coincidence. Garrus agreed with him, as the likelihood of it being such a nice number seemed extremely low. There was a reason that Galactic Standards were adopted, as converting between turian, salarian, asari, and other measuring systems would be needlessly complicated.

"Lengths not suspicious. Light is commonly used for distance measurement. Base 10 is also quite common. Correlation between time is strange, however," Councillor Valern stated.

Sparatus interrupted the considerations on this as he asked, "Are these terms acceptable to you?"

"I cannot say one way or the other whether we will accept. Such decisions will be sent to the Systems Alliance Parliament, where they will be debated and decided upon."

"Joining the Citadel will allow you to share technology with all other member species. This should make up for any advancements compromised by these limits," Tevos informed the humans.

Udina considered this for a time before replying, "Systems Alliance processing is all based in quantum mechanics."

"This is nonnegotiable. We nearly had an incident with the Geth. If you develop AI, we will be forced to defend ourselves and our galaxy from the threat t they represent," the salarian Councillor argued.

"I am merely a contact between this Council and my government. Authorization for these decisions must come from the Systems Alliance and the states it represents," Udina repeated.

Tevos replied, "Understood. I ask that you communicate the necessity of an AI ban as well as the Farizen treaty to your government, as they need to be adhered to for all Citadel races."

"Understood. Now, the Systems Alliance prepared some requests prior to this meeting for me to present to you for consideration during negotiations. We wish to have reliable access to Eezo, and by extension the means to transport it, including the use of your Super-Relay."

"Mass Effect is a product in high demand at all times. We cannot offer you free access without economic disturbances," Tevos responded.

"Perhaps a proposal, then, Councillors. In exchange for every Element Zero mining colony, the Systems Alliance will assist the Council in finding a habitable world near our territory."

"The Citadel will also be granted permission to set up a Forward Operating Base on Terra, along with an embassy. A Systems Alliance embassy will be granted on the Citadel as well," Sparatus countered.

Udina considered this for a second, "The Systems Alliance will choose where you establish this base."

"It must be near a major city," Sparatus insisted.

"Absolutely not. The public would never accept having warships hovering over major metropolitan areas," Udina stated.

Tevos interjected, "Perhaps if you could guarantee that this base won't be located somewhere inhospitable, such as at the poles or in the middle of a desert."

"I can assure you that you would not be isolated from civilization. This revision will need to be cleared along with all other agreements and documents. If this rough draft is acceptable to you, I will write it up and send it with the other material" Udina conceded.

"I accept your proposal with those assurances," Sparatus said, nodding to Udina.

Valern continued, "As do I."

"This is an acceptable arrangement," Tevos finished.

Udina nodded and went on, "For exploration, the Systems Alliance will not help push towards the territory that we fled."

"The Council could help you regain your homeworld," Sparatus said. Garrus thought that the Councillor could do with a little more tact, as it was obvious that the turian wanted humanity to feel obligated to the Citadel for such a service.

"You called us an experienced species, Councillors. Let us use that experience instead of squandering lives and ships on a fruitless endeavor. Do not go into our previous homeland" Udina stated forcefully as he tried to balance caution with fear.

Sparatus shrugged and replied, "If you have no wish to reclaim the area, then we will not waste time doing so."

"We will take your warning into consideration for our exploration fleets," Tevos said.

"I hope so. Now, what planets would your species be looking for?" Udina asked, eager to change the subject.

* * *

 **5th Day of 11th Month, 2437 (May 31, 2566)**

 **Citadel**

 **Citadel Council Chamber**

Eight days of politicking later and Garrus was finally getting sent back out into the field while the Council dealt with the humans. The _Covenant_ was ready to go with supplies loaded and crew recalled from shore leave. All they were waiting on was their Captain.

Saren stood beside him, fully armored and at attention. Before them was the Citadel Council, ready to assign Garrus and the Spectre to new missions now that communications were established with the humans. The rest of the room was empty, leaving the five beings in complete privacy.

Sparatus took the lead and began, "The actions undertaken by the members and leaders of the CEF 29th and 7th are commendable, and will be justly rewarded. Current exploration fleets in Andromeda are following the directions of the humans and are staying away from their former territory. As such, this Council wants you to continue your explorations towards the homeworld of humanity."

"Your fleets are to maintain communication silence so as to avoid detection by the humans. Once past the humans, establish a shared operating base and split your forces to scan the area. A Quantum Entanglement Communication unit with a direct connection with this Council will be assigned to your fleet to allow further orders if contact is made. Your current objective is to attempt to make contact with any remnants of their previous civilization and encourage them to join the Citadel," Valern continued.

Tevos finished the briefing, "If hostile contact is made, eliminate the threat and attempt to gather intelligence. The humans don't want us finding something in the area, so it is your duty to find what that is. Garrus Vakarian, this will be your examination mission for Spectre status. Saren Arterius will observe and evaluate your performance. This evaluation will last until you have finished investigating the area or make contact with a species."

Garrus was surprised at this. The number of individuals picked for Spectre candidacy was very, very low. Considering his father's views on the matter, Garrus would've thought any attempt to evaluate him for Spectre-status would be blocked. It was a far greater reward than he was expecting for exploring a ship.

"Thank you, Councillors. I will not disappoint," Garrus said as confidently as he could.

"See that you don't," Sparatus warned. "Your status as a Spectre is being offered because we need more agents in this galaxy now that a new race has been discovered. Your composure when dealing with the humans, your combat record, and your initiative when investigating their colony ship shows promise for a position in the Spectres."

"You are dismissed," Tevos declared before turning with her fellow Councillors and making their way to discuss whatever it was they did behind closed doors.

Garrus turned to follow Saren to the elevator usually used for access to the chamber, instead of the large one that the diplomatic and security party had come up in.

As they started the slow descent down to the Presidium level, Saren spoke up, "Congratulations."

"Thanks."

"I'm going to skip the nonsense here. I think that this mission is a mistake," Saren said bluntly.

Garrus glanced at the Spectre and replied, "Splitting up out in the unknown is unwise."

"Agreed. I propose we ignore the Council's plan and combine our fleets. We may scan less area, but we have a higher chance of surviving whatever is out there."

"According to the humans, it's just the remnants of their old civilization. From the way the warned the Council, though, I doubt it's that simple," Garrus responded.

Saren tilted his head in agreement, "You noticed it too. Good, keeps your senses sharp. What were the tells?"

"They mentioned that they were running from their government, but mentioned no battle to escape from that body. A fleet of that sized assembling undetected would require dozens of planets and be impossible to hide with that many craft disappearing, unless if they were expected to. Assuming that their government did not find them, it follows that the state could not track them," Garrus contemplated.

Saren nodded at the logic so far, prompting him to continue, "An authoritarian state would never let that many resources go unless if they did not matter or were unable to stop it. Both have alarming implications. It is unlikely to be that the state did not care, as losing hundreds of millions of citizens at once would affect any society. If they were unable to stop it, however, then something else must have been taking up their attention."

"So, given that they were not tracked by their government but are still afraid of these whispers giving away their position to what they called the Enemy, and the government was so busy that it did not notice the disappearance of millions of its citizens, then something else was attacking them. To have accrued such a large fleet and continue to fight, they must have held hundreds of planets. Whatever attacking them was therefore powerful enough to completely annihilate a civilization of tens of billions spread across a vast expanse," Garrus finished.

Saren sighed and stared down at the floor with his arms crossed, "That was the same conclusion I reached. They never explicitly stated that the enemy was their government, only that they were running from a state on the edge of annihilation."

"If we head out there and find whatever attacked them, would the Citadel be able to stand against them?" Garrus questioned, considering the implications.

"Doubtfully. The military strength required to eradicate a race of billions would be colossal. Not even the Rachni or Krogan came close to succeeding with such an endeavor. The Krogan came close to defeating the Citadel through numbers, but not killing off entire races. These unknowns obviously failed to properly police the escaped ships, but to only allow 350 million out of billions to live still shows a very high success rate in evacuation prevention," the Spectre stated.

"The Council has given us the mission. We can ignore their plan, but there's no way to avoid completing the mission. There's also almost no chance that we do not encounter the hostiles if we properly explore the area. I only see one plan that would work to survive," Garrus said.

A glance from Saren encouraged him to continue, "If we find anything larger than a dreadnought, run like hell and hope that they can't follow."

"Sometimes, the best strategy is staying alive to make another," Saren agreed with a laugh.

* * *

 **15th Day of 19th Month, 2437 (November 17, 2566)**

 **CEF 29, CEF 7**

 **Exploring 'Orion' arm**

They were now in unknown territory, well past human space and entering the galactic arm that apparently was strewn with ruins. So far, that had not been the case, but the combined exploration fleets were still on the edge of the main clusters of stars.

After making their way back to the Andromeda galaxy, the CEF 7th and First Task Force from the CEF 29th had returned to the operating base set up by the 29th. Since the operating base was designed to be quick to set up and move, there was little issue in packing up the place. With all materials packed and personnel accounted for, the mass of ships had begun their silent journey into the unknown.

Having exploring the outer edges of the area, the combined fleets had pushed inwards for three months, covering hundreds of light-years and dozens of systems. While several locations for a headquarters were promising, Saren and Garrus had agreed that keeping their forces mobile would be the key to survival against a superior foe.

Garrus withdrew from his thoughts as his XO called out, "Captain, one of the task forces is picking up a human signal."

"Classification?"

"Distress signal, though it doesn't follow the previous format of such calls," Eudolin replied.

Garrus nodded to her and the call played over the audio system, " _This is the Mimic. We need assistance._ " With the translation between Citadel languages and the human's language, Garrus could actually understand the message.

"Can we locate it?" he asked.

Eudolin was silent for a few seconds and she poked at her console before responded, "Yes, coordinates are included in the message. About three systems over, or around a day of travel."

"Contact Saren and send him the message and coordinates. Lieutenant, get the fleet FTL vectors for the flight," Garrus ordered.

Both officers went to work as the rest of the bridge crew continued their routines. Before he could think, his XO reported, "Communication from the Spectre." Knowing the usual workings of contact between the two leaders, the commander directed the call to the main screen and continued her work.

"Saren," Garrus greeted.

"Garrus. Interesting find. Thoughts?"

Sitting back, Garrus took a moment to formulate a response, "It sounds vague. Humans like to include their labels, like _UNSC_ and _SSV_. It could be a civilian vessel unaffiliated with any entity, or perhaps a trap. Either way, approaching with weapons ready is prudent."

"I agree that is sounds odd, but I do not think that we should have weapons at the ready. It could be a civilian craft, or even just a beacon left behind. I think it's a trap. What is your approach?" Saren asked.

"Appeared well outside the location of the beacon. Perhaps a light-hour away. If the enemy has picket ships, however, they could alert the ambush. Have a frigate jump near the location, obtain sensor readings, then jump away to report back to our fleet. Go from there" Garrus replied, rejecting his plan midway through to think of another.

"You are assuming that the crew will be able to escape a possibly unknown enemy," Saren reminded him.

Garrus nodded, "It is a risk I and those in the 29th are willing to take. Such is the burden of command."

Saren gave Garrus a long look before replying softly, "I know that well, Captain." Shaking his head to clear the past, he steeled his voice and continued, "Your plan sounds viable. If we jump to the edge of the system, we should be able to avoid a cursory detection system, and if not have time to escape."

"Sounds good, I will select a ship to scout the call once we arrive."

* * *

 **16th Day of 19th Month, 2437 (November 18, 2566)**

 **THV** _ **Verum**_

 **Responding to Distress Call**

Garrus had asked for volunteers. They had been the first out of all to respond and therefore got the duty of obtaining a scan of the area. Having left the rest of the CEF 7/29th, as it was now called by most in both fleets, on the edge of the system, the _Verum_ had continued in FTL to the the location of the distress call.

By now they were reaching their destination, as indicated with the appearance of stars once more outside the windows. This was both good, as it meant that they weren't dead already, and bad because there was no ship in sight.

Scans were instantly started, having been prepped for initiation by the ship VI when they exited FTL. Several seconds passed before they received a response. The pilot typed on the controls and the frigate turned to bring a massive vessel into view. As the sensors returned more information, statistics appeared beside the craft from the data analyzed and assembled by the VI.

The massive ship was almost dreadnought-length, hitting 1930 Citadel meters, or 956 human meters, on the long axis. Its purple hull curved away from the main body about a third of the way down its length to form a semicircle before curving back into the previous flow another third of the way down. Between the split lengths of hull was another structure that housed what looked to be a hangar.

Before more could be observed, a flash of light heralded the appearance of a blue ball of what looked like plasma, headed straight for the _Verum_. Knowing that the image on-screen was limited by the speed of light, and therefore delayed several seconds from reality, the _Verum_ immediately did an about-face and jumped back to FTL and the CEF 7/29th.

* * *

 **16th Day of 19th Month, 2437 (November 18, 2566)**

 **CEF 7/29th**

 **Assaulting Unknown Vessel**

The bravery and diligence of the THV _Verum_ had revealed four things that let Saren and Garrus decide to attack instead of retreat. First, the vessel was hostile and had fired without warning seconds after the scout frigate had dropped out of FTL. Next, there was only one vessel, and while their weapons looked to be devastating, if not deadly, they were slow. Third, their sensors had to be operating at above light-speed for the time it took them to fire. Lastly, this was confirmed to be First Contact, and since the species was hostile, Council protocol allowed for the use of whatever force was necessary to remove the threat.

With the combined firepower of 73 ships, the CEF 7/29th would either prove the futility of fighting these unknowns or allow a match-up, depending if they could break the ship's shields. That was the plan that Saren and himself had come up with, and while easy, it could quickly go wrong if this almost-dreadnought was armed with plasma weapons. To counter that, several frigates had volunteered to intercept the enemy fire if necessary.

Whichever way the battle was decided, however, would be revealed in the next few minutes. Knowing this, both fleet commanders had all ships prepare weapons to fire. The basic plan was to find the enemy, point their main guns towards them, and put as many rounds down-range as possible.

As the fleet drew close to the exit point, well behind where the enemy ship had been located, Garrus opened up a communication to all ships in both fleets, "All hands, brace for combat."

The fleet burst into realspace seconds later, ready for a fight. They were not disappointed. While the enemy vessel had moved further back from the location of its trap, the commander was apparently ill trained, as the ship had not moved to a different location entirely, thereby not requiring it to be found again. As planned, the 7/29th had emerged behind and above the enemy vessel, providing them enfilade fire for the moment.

In the several second delay that had followed their exit to the sensors providing them this information, the enemy had fired three plasma rounds from each side of their ship that curved back towards the turian ships.

Six frigates moved towards the rounds, ready to lay down their lives to save the fleet. So as to not get hit by friendly fire, the frigates that were intercepting the plasma rounds pulled off to the sides, ready to fall back in once the friendly rounds were past.

A response was given by the fleet as mass accelerator rounds streaked from cannons, providing a combined firepower of almost 350 kilotons. Much faster than the enemy plasma rounds, they blasted towards the enemy ship at several thousand kilometers a second. Shots fired from the eight cruisers in the 7/29 quickly outpaced those from the frigates. This was part of the plan.

What was not part of the plan was the plasma rounds curving to follow the frigates. Noticing this behavior, the turian craft made their way further out, still being followed by the shots drawing ever closer across the void of space.

Garrus made note of this, curious as to how it worked and why the enemy would not fire more shots to corner the vessels, but ultimately discarded the considerations for later. His attention was fully focused on the enemy vessels as the cruiser rounds began impacting across its length.

The first feeling he felt was surprise. This species didn't even have Barriers. To build such a large vessel without shielding from radiation, space debris, or weapons fire would be suicide for any Council ship. He reminded himself that this was not a Council ship, and that they did not have access to Mass Effect to utilize Kinetic Barriers.

Apparently no Eezo, however, also meant no consideration for mass consolidation, as was said by the humans. Impacts appeared in the armor of the vessel, with five round impacting the hangar area and another three hitting near the engine block. The effects of this, while less dramatic than such a strike against a normal Eezo vessel, were still pleasing. Visible damage could be seen from each fifteen kiloton shot, especially in the hangar, which appeared to have collapsed. Garrus had to commend this race, they knew their armor. Any normal, unguarded dreadnought would have been disabled, if not destroyed, by such a strike.

Instead, this ship just trudged on, slowly turning away from the fleet and beginning to try and move out of the line of fire. They were too late, however, as the frigate rounds began raining down on top of the craft. Some of the 3.5 kiloton shots missed due to the movement of the ship, but the majority of the 65 fired impacted along the length of the craft.

While the cruiser fire had severely damaged the hangar area and put large dents around the engines, the shots from the frigates did much less damage per round, but the volume of rounds made up for this.

A blue explosion erupted along one of the arms of the vessel, proving that they could hurt this species. With that, the battle was decided. The next shots from the CEF, which had already been fired and were on their way, would disable this hostile.

Or at least that was what was supposed to happen. As happened so often, the assault plan went sideways as the one-sided battle came to an end. Rounds impacting the engine section managed to punch through the buckling armor, doing damage to internal components.

The plasma engines that the vessel used were either ill-protected or ill-maintained, as within seconds explosions were ripping throughout the vessels. One massive burst vaporized the entire aft section, leaving a few hundred meters of disintegrating metal floating towards wherever they had been fleeing to.

Garrus watched as the vessel, and their lead as to who the species had been, was destroyed by the plasma flowing from its wounds. A quick glance at the frigates that had been playing chase with the enemy plasma rounds showed that the shots were no longer following the frigates and were now slowly dissipating as they made their way into the void.

He turned to Acharian and ordered, "Plot that vessel's path and predict its destinations. Recall all vessels into formation."

That done, he typed in several commands to open a channel to Saren, "Good fight. We are tracing the path that the ship was taking to escape to try and figure out its destination."

"Understood. One of my ships has reported hearing a radio signal from the enemy before it went down," Saren informed him.

Garrus nodded and listened as the translated audio was played across the comm link, " _The Kig-Yar will make you pay for this! The queens will eat you all!_ "

"Pleasant bunch. I assume that _Kig-Yar_ is the name of their species or faction, based on context," Garrus commented.

"I would assume so. What do you think of continuing onwards?"

A second passed before Garrus answered, "I think that we can find out more if our frigates can provide that chafe effect."

"Agreed. It is nice to fight an enemy that does not have barriers. Trying to break dreadnought-class barriers while having our ships leading around plasma doesn't sound fun," Saren stated.

"We need to report to the Council. It's possible that they'd sent an actual combat fleet to assist."

Saren snorted, "More like send us to our deaths, ask why we didn't communicate with them, and question why we were in the same search zone. Contact has been made though, and we were expressly ordered to report if it was so. I will be right over." With that, the communication cut, leaving Garrus to stare at the floating remnants of the alien ship.

Huffing in frustration at the development, Garrus stood to make his way to the QEC that had been placed in the _Covenant_ 's cargo hold. Saren would arrive soon on a shuttle and they could contact the Council. As if that was going to bring anything but frustration.

* * *

 **Since there seems to be a great deal of confusion regarding how a meter is actually measured, I am providing some clarification. A meter is the distance light travels in a vacuum in 1/299792458 of a second. It is that odd fraction because that leads to the speed of light being 299,792,458 meters per second, with a second being measured as a unit of the transition between two hyperfine levels of the groundstate of a Caesium-133 atom. Since a Citadel second is one half of a human second, the distance would be half as much, only 50 human centimeters.**

 **To make this simple, TWO Citadel kilometers = ONE human kilometer. Please stop telling me to learn physics or the such. The math used here is based in the canon of the Halo/ME verses and in how 21st humans measure kilometers. All measurements will be in Human meters unless explicitly stated to be in the Citadel system.**

 **On the Illusion of Might: Images:**

 **Tinyurl dot com /OntheIllusionofMight**

 **Which leads to: docs . google dot com /document/d/1qrkvx_aT7FNqIBrQ3gS_8vjl5Ydb-ux9mGhhgVFhFDA/edit**

 **I am providing maps and other such things at the URL above, which leads to a google doc that anyone can view with that link. This currently contains maps of the Canis Major Overdensity with Citadel Council Territory, the Milky Way with current CEF exploration routes, the Milky Way with Warden territories, and the Orion-Cygnus Arm of the Milky Way with Warden territories. If you don't care and already have a map drawn in your head or such, don't bother with this. :)**

 **Oh, also, you can tell what I drew by hand because it looks like a 3-year-old's crayon scribblings. I'm an artist of words, not pictures. Someone asked for this, so that's why I bothered with it.**

 **I removed the ship class because I looked back and realized how stupid it sounded. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, then just take my word that I was a moron and ignore this.**

 **For the SA population, transporting three billion people, all on colony ships like the** _ **Spirit**_ **that hold 15,000, in the 23 years I have given them, would require about 200,000 ships. All Phoenix-class colony ships. Which is absurd. If I used population growth, it'd be a growth rate of about 20%. Which is also absurd. Current growth rate of SA does exist here in the 21st century in Lebanon according to CIA WFB 2014 and Oman is also close according to UN 2010-2015. However, the maximum hypothetical human growth rate is around 4%. So 5% of the SA's growth is incoming refugees from the Great War.**

 **Science note: Lasers (like a GARDIAN) do not possess heat, they are measured by energy. Technically, to defend against a GARDIAN attack, all you need is reflective armor. A ship covered in mirrors would be functionally immune to GARDIAN attacks. Lasers heat up the material they hit when photons pass through the material. Mirrors DO allow some particles to pass through, so it's not perfect, but the concept is the point. A reflective material like Titanium would be ridiculously hard to cut through, especially considering that the UNSC laces it with Tungsten, which provides an extremely high melting point.**

 **For Captain Saeed Iman, I was attempting to get a Middle Eastern name. Whether that happened or not, I don't know. If there's some naming convention for that area that is used and I messed up, please shoot over a PM and let me know.**

 **I have no idea what the casualties from the Rachni Was or Krogan Rebellions were, if someone does know those, please let me know.**

 **Apologies for messing with Council measurements for kilometers, but really, no way do they have the same system when our meter is measure by distance traveled by light in a vacuum over the course of a second while Citadel seconds are half of human seconds. That's canon, not me pulling numbers of my arse. Though I do think that those numbers do have some indications of being pull from where the sun don't shine.**

 **I honestly did not intend for Saren to take up such a large role in Garrus' development. It just kind of happened. Also, Saren isn't such an ass to humanity since they have some distance between them.**

 **The ship that is encountered is an SDV-class Corvette, like the one boarded in Halo: Reach on the mission Long Night of Solace. They are the only Covenant ship that I know of that doesn't have shields. They are also a common Kig-Yar pirate ship because they're easier to hijack without said shields.**

 **As I was writing the section on AI negotiation, I realized that I forgot a Halo faction for the Wardens. Stupid mistake.**


	6. Behind the Veil

Disclaimer: I own no franchise mentioned in this work. Halo belongs to 343, Mass Effect to Bioware.

 **I'm just going to start with an apology for the clusterfuck that was the last chapter. I messed up and missed some very important details. That is my bad, and I thank those who pointed them out and rightly criticized me for those errors.**

 **In that vein, it seems that the last chapter received mostly negative feedback, so...yeah. If you're reading this, thank you for sticking around. A LOT will be explained and clarified in this chapter. Many assumptions were made in reviews it seems, both about how the SA is going to handle contact as well as the capabilities and strategy of the organization.**

 **Looked back and realized I said I could get a chapter out at the earliest by June 4th. I meant July 4th, I just don't proofread my AN's cause they usually are at least semi-coherent.**

 **Had quite a bit of difficulty with this chapter. Did not want to get converted into a text format. Alas, I have prevailed!**

 **One more chapter after this that sets up Shepard, then we can get to the fun.**

 **Now for Review Responses! If you don't care, skip to the breakpoint below. For responses, later reviews will be listed first, because I'm lazy and can't be bothered to reverse-order them.**

 **Ominous Olethros: Glad you're enjoying it, and yes, it is going to get interesting from here. :)**

 **FORGEMaster: I had not thought of that, no, but interesting idea. Issue is that it would take the Council several hundred years to reach the Greater Ark if it's as far out as the Lesser. The Citadel's entire Galaxy is closer to the Milky Way than the Lesser/Greater Arks.**

 **Guest #1: Thanks, though I'm not sure what sense it's not making. As in how does it work or why are they cooperating? If it's the first, then I'm not explaining how computer processing and all that stuff works in the story. Entire books are written on that. :/ If it's the second, this chapter should clarify.**

 **EffervescentNova: Plasma torpedos, as they're known, are extremely accurate because they're guided to their target. They WILL catch the ship, but they aren't high-speed like MAC rounds or Pulse Laser Turrets. Space is huge, takes a bit for it to hit its target. As for your second point, that's why it's an assumption. There's no way to know for sure, and he's being pessimistic. Yes, the Council does present a little different policies to the public and their operations.**

 **Bloodwolf432: Human slipspace to Covenant slipspace was like a Caveman to an average high-school grad. Neither are geniuses, but one is far more intelligent than the other. Post-War Human Slipspace travel is apparently faster than the Covenant, which was 912 Light-Years per day.**

 **Skittertale: Thank you! :)**

 **Vrael 1: This chapter kind of renders that point null, but good question! Thank you!**

 **Me: Noted, and good recollection. Yes, medi-gel was a human product, and is also technically illegal under Citadel law. Interesting how that goes, isn't it...?**

 **Kabuto S. Inferno: Glad to hear that you're enjoying it! I would like to note, though, that from what I tell of ME Canon Systems Alliance Governing, it's a Representative Parliament, with the House made of planetary Reps I assume. There were human colonies outside of the SA, unlike the UNSC which forbid colonies from seceding.**

 **Guest #2 and 3: Excellent question that many people ask! The answer: Politics! Which makes more sense later this chapter.**

 **CReaper210: Thanks, and understood on the separation thing. I was hesitant to do it, but then I realized that if I didn't, I wouldn't be able to write Shepard. And that made me sad.**

 **Teleri Sina Atari, SITHIS ARCANIS: Thanks! Updated as soon as I could, had a three week interruption though.**

 **Atazas: 2145 is Systems Alliance year, 2425 is Citadel Galactic Standard year, 2566 is UEG/UNSC year. Thanks for caring, though! :)**

 **Guest #4: Indeed, such a fleet sounds almost like someone lying, doesn't it? No problem, I appreciate the criticism, and it will make more sense further on in the chapter.**

 **Fernix13: I know basic physics, bud. I realized I made a mistake with writing, "One meter is the distance light travels in one second." That is me misreading my own text. I meant that One meter is measured off a fraction of the distance that light travels in one second, specifically 1/299792458. Yes, Valern can do that basic math and smell something fishy. Or whatever the Salarian equivalent of fishy is. Info on more races will come in time, but since only the Turians, Salarians, and Asari are on the Council, only their ships guard it. MAC gun specs will follow the momentum and energy equations appropriate for them, though I will not be factoring in gravitational acceleration when a fight is near a planet. I could, but I don't particularly care to do so. ODP's were deployed late in the war over Earth and MAYBE Reach. Outer colonies never would've seen 'em. They have done the math on their tech, just...read the chapter, please.**

 **Unknowndeath 2565: The meeting between the two is coming, and it will (hopefully) be interesting!**

 **Kamikage86: Next chapter is focused on Shepard, then after that we'll be going through some other stuff. So next two, maybe three chapters.**

 **Husebad: Indeed, Slipspace CAN be faster than ME. Pre-war human stuff isn't, Post-War is by far faster.**

 **Burgs: Thanks!**

 **Kinunatzs the Eternal: Apologies for taking so long. I posted a story a while ago and was criticized for going too fast, so going into heavy detail on this one. Should be picking up this chapter and really getting going in the next three or so.**

 **Prince Sheogorath: Apologies, that was my mistake. I read it knowing future events that happened in this chapter, and thus didn't see it as an issue. I've gone back and fixed it to be less yes/no and more proposal to be debated with SA Parliament.**

* * *

 **16th Day of 19th Month, 2437 (November 18, 2566)**

 **CEF 7/29th leaders**

 **QEC call with Citadel Council**

After delivering their reports, both verbally and in written copies, Garrus and Saren had waited for further orders. The Council had spent the last half-hour talking about what to do next. So far, Garrus was not liking their line of thought.

"The destroyed vessel was likely their largest combat-class," Valern said thoughtfully.

"Oh?" Sparatus asked doubtfully.

"Humans claimed their colony ships were so large due to need of capability to hold tens of thousands of people. Smaller dimensions common for their dreadnoughts and cruisers, indicating that combat vessels were in similar range before advent of Mass Effect," the salarian explained.

Sparatus thought about it before adding, "To use that assumption, we have to use the assumption that this is a human vessel. I think that this is a new race with advanced capabilities. The difference in design as well as weaponry lets us know that. It is unknown if the humans encountered them, so judging off of their vessels is useless. To find two species who cannot make shields without Mass Effect is good intelligence though."

"Except that the vessel was transmitting a human distress call and communicated in human speech before it was destroyed. Their weapons could be explained by energy consumption, and obviously be more advanced to drive the Alliance out of the area. If the humans were so large to have their fleet of thousands, then I would think that they'd discover a new species in their area. A similar number of our planets would span entire arms," Tevos argued.

"You have a point. To live so close and yet not encounter each other indicates a much smaller number of worlds. Spectre, Candidate, your mission objective has changed. You are to make your way to the system that this ship was heading towards and attempt to make contact with the humans there," Sparatus ordered.

The two CEF leaders saluted as the connection closed, leaving them alone in the QEC unit.

"Fools," Saren snarled.

Garrus glanced over and replied, "Too many assumptions. Judging human planet coverage to our own is useless since we have the Mass Relays."

"They've always been incompetent. They know the political game well, but none of them besides Sparatus know battle. We've grown soft, complacent. Turian fleets fight pirates, not wars. If this is the enemy of the humans, the only chance we'd stand against them would be if we cut them off at the Super-Relay," Sparatus stated, anger and frustration obvious.

"Spectre's are the hands of the Council because they do the dirty work."

The turian Spectre scoffed and agreed, "That's how it's been for the last 1200 years since the Krogan rebellions."

"Well, no changing it out here. Assuming the Council is wrong-"

"We can't assume anything," Saren interrupted. "They could be right. This species could only build up to Citadel dreadnought standards or even be the old human state. I doubt it though. If this species could defeat the humans, their ships could be ten kilometers long and fire beams of plasma instead of those slow spheres."

"Prepare for the worst is all we can do. If that was a frigate-class, then there's no way our fleet could go against their dreadnoughts," Garrus deduced.

With that understanding established, the two split ways, with Saren heading back over to his ship and Garrus back to the bridge of the _Covenant_.

Minutes later, the _Covenant_ and the CEF 7/29th were on their way, jumping into FTL en route to the targeted system.

In doing so, they unknowingly crossed the invisible border of Warden space as they made their way closer to that which they sought.

* * *

 **First Age of Realization, Sixth Solar Cycle/November 19th, 2566**

 **Unggoy World of Mupmup**

 **Unggoy Republic Ship** _ **Rabfoon**_

Part of the Third Flotilla of the Unggoy fleet of Pootgrap, the glorious CRS-class light cruiser _Rabfoon_ was one of three such ships that protected the planet below. While small, at only 300 meters, the shields and weapons on board these vessels were sufficient against the common pirate raids from nearby Kig-Yar space.

Many Republic worlds had such flotillas, small groups of ships that protected them from Kig-Yar and other unsavory characters. All ships assigned under this duty were part of the fleet of Pootgrap. Consequently, the Pootgrap fleet was the largest in the Unggoy navy, with over 250 ships under its command to protect the 54 planets ruled by the Republic.

Of course, considering that the Republic controlled all of about 400 warships, this meant that there were few ships left for any other effort until the Unggoy could create their own. As it was, the majority of the navy was made up of CRS cruisers, with a few 1,782-meter CCS cruisers at key worlds and a single 3,000-meter ORS cruiser to function as the flagship for the Republic Navy.

All of these ships had been taken by the Unggoy following the war with the Reclaimers. With the Jiralhanae and Sangheili fighting each other, Unggoy had overrun the ships as their leaders killed each other.

Unluckily, even with their new-found firepower to defend themselves, the Unggoy Republic was still ultimately limited by the nature of its citizens. While they could beat down the occasional Kig-Yar ship that attacked their worlds, dealing with the unknown was still beyond them.

As such, when a fleet of unknown ships suddenly appeared at the edge of high orbit, the Unggoy followed their philosophy and way of life. With a mighty flare of engines and the full power of three armed and shielded warships, the Third Flotilla guarding Mupmup turned and fled.

* * *

 **17th Day of 19th Month, 2437 (November 19, 2566)**

 **CEF 7/29th**

 **Investigating Alien Star-system**

Garrus watched in confusion as the alien ships retreated to the other side of the planet. Their reaction was puzzling, considering the ship that the 7/29th had encountered before.

From what he could see, Garrus thought it likely that this was a different race. While the material that made up the hull of both craft looked similar, the designs of the two ships differed greatly.

The vessel that the 7/29 had destroyed was slightly oblong in shape, with the double-hull design allowing for open spaces between the inner and outer hull. These ships, however, were much shorter and bulbous, with only one hull that left no open spaces and, as far as Garrus could see, no hangars.

Their differing reactions also indicated that they were of different species. While the other ship had fired almost as soon as the _Verum_ and 7/29th itself dropped out of FTL, these ships had fled. No attempts at communication or hostilities.

What he did know was that both species, or human factions if the Council was to be believed, possessed FTL sensors. The delay from the arrival of the CEF to the unknown ships retreating was too minimal for normal light-speed sensors.

Garrus could tell this because the light-lag of Council sensors delayed the real-time events. Within three seconds of the 7/29ths appearance, the fleet had moved, which was only known to the CEF when the image of the vessels reached them 28 seconds later. If they had light-speed sensors, then that time would be doubled, as their appearance would be delayed as the light returned to the alien sensors, then the ships moved, which would only reach the CEF after the fact.

Either way, the ships did not appear to want a fight, or even be amiable to attempting contact if their behavior was any indication. As such, the CEF continued towards the planet, dropping into geostationary orbit on the current dark-side of the world below. This allowed them to see the points of light which represented civilization and gather intelligence on approximate population density and numbers.

Normally, such work would be done after first contact, per the system established after the meeting with the humans. Of course, this was assuming that the other side wanted to make contact at all, which seemed to be incorrect in this instance. Seeing as the only thing his crew would be doing otherwise was sitting around or changing shifts, Garrus gave the order to the scientists to start their work.

Several hours later and the only activity on the ship was from Mordin and his team. Garrus and the rest of the primary crew were off-duty, leaving the bridge and other areas in the capable hands of the secondary crew. Each crew worked ten-hour shifts, unless of course if the ship was in battle, in which case both crews were on duty.

Commander Verasia Eudolin, the XO of the _Covenant_ , was in command of the secondary crew while Garrus was off-duty. It was not uncommon for her to spend off-hours on the bridge after eating and getting rest, hence her presence in previous operations.

With these aliens acting shy and nothing else to do, Eudolin spent her time with ship reports, dealing with smaller issues or duty assignments and forwarding larger items to Garrus for review and approval. The relaxed mood of the bridge was broken as Lieutenant Katon Gledia, the pilot for the secondary shift, suddenly began furiously typing at his console.

Eudolin glanced up to watch this for a second before going back to her reports, assuming that the pilot would alert her of anything serious. This proved to be correct as Gledia reported, "Unknown vessels have reappeared in low orbit, 28,000 kilometers out and closing from the starboard side."

"On screen," Eudolin replied. As her order was carried out, she started the alarm for general quarters. Her attention came back to the main screen as the image of the three alien ships appeared.

The pilot hit a few more keys and checked a readout, "Vessels have begun an engine burn to break into our orbital trajectory. Collison is currently not a concern. No weapon flare detected, unable to obtain scan of internal actions."

Before Eudolin could respond, Garrus entered the bridge and called out, "CO has the bridge!"

"CO has the bridge," Eudolin replied with a salute. Garrus nodded to acknowledge the action but did not return it as he sat in the Captain's chair. No offense was taken, as the commander realized that Garrus was much more concerned with the craft approaching on-screen.

As she moved to her normal station when Garrus was present, Eudolin noticed Lieutenant Acharian taking over for Gledia. Now kicked out of the pilot's seat, Gledia quickly took a place at the defense console, which was his combat post.

With the Primary crew now situated, Garrus looked to his XO, "Report."

"The unknown ships just reappeared over the horizon. They are on a burn to break their orbit and intercept our own. No visible weapons, but we are unable to penetrate for an internal scan," Eudolin summarized quickly.

"Understood. The other ships of the 7/29th?" Garrus asked.

"We have not heard anything from them yet."

Garrus nodded and hit a few keys to open a channel to the entire CEF, "All ships, this is Garrus, we have Unknowns on approach. Sound general quarters and load weapons, target designations will be through shortly."

The visible response to these orders was distinctly lacking. No ships moved or otherwise changed position, since all were already in formation from their arrival. On board each, though, the Primary shift was being reinforced or taking the place of the Secondaries in typical Turian efficiency.

"Acharian, prepare for combat maneuvers."

"Sir, incoming communication request from the unknowns to one of the 7th's cruisers!" Eudolin called out suddenly, drawing the attention of the bridge.

There was a second of silence as those present processed this information. Training quickly took over surprise, however, as each member went back to their assigned tasks while half-listening for developments.

Garrus considered this for a second before replying, "Contact Saren and get ready to redirect the call to us."

Within seconds, the Spectre was up on a screen off to the side, leaving the approaching unknowns up on the main view. He didn't waste a second, "My ships are reporting combat ready. Would you like to take their communication or shall I?"

"I can lead the discussion. Listen if you would like. Going to keep your visual off, however, so as not to confuse them," Garrus responded, following Council procedure once more for First Contact. Giving new species an individual to focus on allowed that person to accrue more trust from the unknowns, or so the Council thought. Nothing could be assumed when dealing with a new race in Garrus' opinion.

"Understood. My fleet will be ready to engage if necessary," Saren responded before disconnecting the visual feed.

With that established and the side-screen empty, Garrus motioned to his XO. Eudolin understood the gesture from their experience together and accepted the alien communication signal, directing it to the empty screen. The image of the three alien vessel continued to dominate the main screen, although the ships appeared to be slowing as they neared the 7/29th.

This was ignored as the side-screen came to life once again to show the video from the alien communication. A distinctly non-human figure appeared. The being was wearing what looked to be a gas mask of some sort, along with a massive tank on its back. Garrus was reminded somewhat of the Quarians with their facemasks, although they were far less stocky than this race.

Before the alien could start, Garrus introduced himself, "Greetings, I am Garrus Vakarian of the THV _Covenant_ , 29th Citadel Exploratory Fleet, and 7th Citadel Exploratory Fleet. We hope to have peaceful relations with your people."

A response came in the alien's tongue, which of course no one present could understand yet, " _The Big Unggoy of the Republic leads us to defend this space. Mess with Unggoy and we'll bite your kneecaps off! You will never touch the Nipple!_ "

First words of contact with the Citadel, probably a greeting and invitation to talk, since they hadn't fired yet. The slightly aggressive tone of voice was dismissed by Garrus. They had run when the 7/29th had first arrived, which meant that their return was likely ordered for the protection of their colony. Either that or they had received reinforcements, but considering that no new contacts had appeared in system, that was improbable.

As it stood, they would have to wait several months for a translation to be developed by Mordin and his team. With a few strokes, Garrus transmitted the Council-approved First Contact package to the aliens, hoping that they could open and interpret it to speed along the translation process.

The being on-screen looked down at something in front of him, speaking with one of its crew. After a second, a hologram of the Contact package appeared in front of the alien. It took a second to look at a few of the images before turning its attention back to Garrus.

" _You big and stupid, like Brutes. We want to kill you and you send us pictures. You want to talk, that is good. If you lying, Demons and Arbiter will be mad, send Brutes to mash your skulls in._ "

A calm but firm tone, that was good. If the alien relaxed and let them meet, then it meant that they could understand basic communication. Of course, one would hope that they could understand such things with the power of three starships at their command.

After the alien poked at the console in front of it a bit, Garrus noticed the reception of a data packet. As he tried to open it, the computer gave him an error, reporting that it was incompatible with their systems.

This was oddly confusing, seeing as how the alien had had little problem in opening the _Covenant_ 's own message. The alien watched Garrus try and fail to get a compatible match for a short while before it messed with its console again and sent another message.

Garrus nodded in appreciation and looked at the new message. This one did open, meaning that the alien had somehow converted its previous message into an instruction set that would be recognized by Citadel computers. Considering the complexity of such an operation, it was quite impressive how fast it had been accomplished.

As for the contents of the transmission, it appeared to be an animation for the CEF to land on the planet below. Oddly enough, there was no indication that the aliens wanted them to leave the system, unlike the tone that Garrus had heard before.

Considering that this species had not shot at them yet, Garrus figured that they could negotiate for most of the CEF to stay in orbit. Landing ships on planets tended to be hard on fuel, something that they couldn't afford this far out. Not to mention that the cruisers wouldn't be able to land in any case. With a dramatic sigh, Garrus sat back in his chair and prepared to communicate with the alien through drawings, since vocal communication was infeasible.

Not that he could complain much. Having two First Contacts was usually only possible with the lifespan of an Asari. So it was that they would spend the next month above the alien world as a translation was worked out from the channel of communication that had been established.

* * *

 **First Age of Realization, Sixth Solar Cycle/November 19th, 2566**

 **Wardens of the Mantle**

 **Emergency Meeting**

Unlike the annual meeting of the Wardens, where each individual leader or representative would appear in person, all members at this meeting were attending from their own territory. Linked by secure communication signals that were monitored against intrusions by the formidable power of UNSC AIs, their meeting would reach none who were not supposed to know.

In a normal session of discussions for the Wardens, the High Senate would meet and discuss any outstanding issues that presented themselves while the Council of Guardians developed joint military actions against the pirates and other miscellaneous factions that were still present after the Blooding Years. If necessary, both bodies would meet in one chamber and discuss whatever issues were relevant, although that was usually reserved for offenses against the Pirate Kingdoms or for amendments to the Charter that governed the functioning of the Wardens of the Mantle.

For an Emergency Session, however, both the High Senate and Council of Guardians met together to determine an acceptable response to the threat, whether that be in the form of military action or negotiations. Since such sessions were only called when a crisis was confronting one of the members of the Wardens, the responses usually involved military assistance, whether through force or aid.

Today's meeting had been called on short notice by the Unggoy Republic, although why they had was unknown to all but their Chancellor. With the last of the Council now present from wherever they were deployed, the Session could start.

"We have made First Contact with a species," Fupklaz started, informing everyone that this would be a unique situation and not a response to a surge of Kig-Yar piracy or something such as that.

Questions were withheld as the Unggoy continued, "I received word from the ships over Mupmup that a group of seventy ships has emerged from, well, somewhere. Not slipspace from the recordings." Several glances were shared at the name of the Unggoy colony.

"Our vessels fell back when the Unknowns arrived, but returned. No hostile intent has been detected on their part, although they appear to have inferior technology. Their machines were unable to interpret the Unggoy First Contact message. Luckily, the Construct on one of our ships was able to translate most of it to their simple methods," the Chancellor explained.

"We are currently trying to establish a translation between our languages. From what they sent us, they appear to be part of a larger alien collective. They seem to want us to join their faction, but we have sent them no information on the Wardens or that this is not our First Contact. Our current forces consist of three RCS-class cruisers. The Republic requests to handle the contact without outside interference," Fupklaz summarized.

Considering their position as disposable infantry under the Covenant, the Unggoy were doing well with governing themselves. Educational programs provided by the Reclaimers had been effective with helping all species of the Covenant rise from the brink of collapse following the extinction of the San'shyuum. Since the religious leaders of the Covenant had maintained their tech along with the Huragok, and the Huragok had only served on human ships since the end of the war, the help was greatly appreciated, if highly controversial for the humans.

Jiralhanae Chieftain Lydus was the first to speak as he inquired, "You do not want reinforcements against such a fleet?"

"More ships would be appreciated, but we request that they are of the CRS or CCS-class. Human and Fringe ships are obviously of a different race, as are the Sangheili's newer vessels. Their largest vessel is only 500 meters, putting it in the class of heavy corvette, frigate, or light cruiser. A carrier or heavy cruiser might intimidate or provoke them. A limit of two CCS-class vessels is in place," the Unggoy replied.

"Most smaller vessels are in the Republic's fleet or destroyed. The Sword's cannot provide anything that will help with those limitations," the Arbiter declared.

Silence settled over the meeting as leaders of both military and civilian sectors considered a strategy. Lydus finally mentioned, "While the Jiralhanae clans do not have smaller vessels to send, it is possible that the Banished have some forces."

"That could work, but their leader will not like having his forces so outnumbered. Even so, they must adhere to our restrictions," Fupklaz insisted.

Admiral Lasky gained the attention of those present as he proposed, "I could contract Atriox to hunt down Kig-Yar. Keep them away from the border so that a raid doesn't occur during negotiations and allow him to be near in case anything goes amiss."

"An acceptable solution. We will wait for them to arrive before beginning negotiations. Requests for discussions topics may be sent to the Republic. Unless explicit permission is given, we shall mention no other species in our talks," the Unggoy said.

Before anyone could move, the Arbiter spoke once again, "If they prove to be hostile, the Swords stand ready to drive them back."

"I will assemble an Assault Fleet if talks look to be going sour," Fleet Admiral Hood said.

"ONI would like to deploy several surveillance craft to the area. Perhaps find where these beings come from," Fewkes requested. As the new Admiral Numen Fewkes of the Office of Naval Intelligence, he directed such intelligence operations for the Wardens and the UNSC.

"That would be excellent," came the response.

President Peter Lebeau of the UEG announced, "If you would send us the First Contact video and other details, we will keep an eye on the situation. Otherwise, good luck with negotiations."

With that, silent farewells were exchanged and the channel went dead once more. The AI monitoring the communication moved on to report to the Assembly, unsurprised with the speed of military commanders in their decisions. For now, the Wardens of the Mantle would prepare for the coming contact between themselves and this new organization.

* * *

 **First Age of Realization, Sixth Solar Cycle/November 20th, 2566**

 _ **Enduring Conviction**_

 **Idling above Banished Stronghold**

The screen at the front of the bridge came to life as the communications officer accepted the incoming message.

"Reclaimer," Atriox greeted.

"Atriox. Want to go to the border of Kig-Yar space near Mupmup and kill some pirates?" Lasky asked the Jiralhanae Warlord.

"No."

"I'll pay you a couple million credits."

"Okay."

And that was that.

* * *

 **13th Day of 20th Month, 2437/First Age of Realization, Sixth Solar Cycle (December 5, 2566)**

 **CEF 7/29th**

 **Entering First Contact Discussions**

Sixteen days later and they were finally ready to go and meet the aliens on their world. Only the _Covenant_ and Saren's commandeered command frigate would land on the planet. The rest of the CEF 7/29 would stay in orbit, facing off against the group that had grown since their arrival.

The original three ships had been reinforced by 21 identical ships, each falling into formation as they arrived. Instead of focusing on the small ships, however, all attention was diverted to the massive vessel that had appeared several days ago. At 1,782 human meters, the ship was massive, longer than the Destiny Ascension, though still smaller in volume due to the Ascension's mast and keel design.

It would be an interesting fight should this meeting go sour. The CEF would need to deal with the alien ships to able to extract them, leaving only the _Covenant_ and other frigate to provide any ground support. Such thoughts fell away as the CEF and alien ships faded into small dots against the vast expanse of space when the two frigates pulled away.

Garrus idly watched as they approached the planet below, the purple atmosphere lighting up the inside of his ship as it descended. The kinetic barriers did nothing to block the vibrations of the craft as it hit bouts of turbulence, though the vessels were going slow enough to avoid igniting the atmosphere. The ablative armor that all Council races used did nothing but waste away in the extreme heat of uncontrolled reentry.

The air possessed a purple tint from the high number titanium III particles that mixed with the strong methane-based atmosphere. They were currently flying over one of the large oceans that covered thirty percent of the surface. From the looks of it, even the water was heavily polluted from the massive mines that the aliens had established.

Land quickly appeared once more, along with visible infrastructure as they neared the surface. Their current destination was the main city of Gerhoon. Why the aliens named themselves and their places in such a manner was beyond Garrus.

As their destination appeared on the horizon, Garrus took a second to admire the expansive city. While many Council worlds had more impressive architecture and size, the view of alien buildings was always interesting.

It was a few minutes more before they received a flight path from the airspace control center for the local spaceport. Apparently, they would be directed to a more private area, rather than the port itself due to the exposure of the public. At least the Council team could keep their masks on, as breathing in the pollution seemed like a bad health hazard.

Lieutenant Acharian once more displayed her exceptional skill as the _Covenant_ set down beside Saren's frigate on the large area that they were directed to. In front of the ships, a building rose into the air, probably some kind of governmental hub.

With the same team as before already assembled to make their way outside, Garrus ceded command of his ship to his XO and made his way to the airlock. After contacting the Council about this latest contact, the orders of the 7/29th were to negotiate for these beings to join the Citadel. The Council was surprised that this was a new species instead of a human faction, something that Garrus still couldn't figure out.

This discovery only encouraged the Council, however, as they were eager to get samples or control of some of the technology shown by the Unggoy, as they called themselves. A predictable name from a race that seemed to throw two sounds together to name things.

Once more the team from both ships descended to the ground, the first time out of the ship in months for all of them. Even if each vessel was home, it did become fairly irritating to not have anywhere to go besides corridors explored long, the methane atmosphere of the planet meant that the group would have to keep their suits sealed and helmets on.

As they hit the ground, Garrus noticed a delegation coming towards them from the building. A quick glance told him that Saren had noticed as well, although the Spectre motioned for the _Covenant_ 's Captain to take the lead. Garrus had no problem with that, having been looking over contact instructions and other material of that sort for the last month as a translation was established.

When the two groups met in front of the Turian frigates, Garrus noted that the Unggoy had no masks, which made sense since they breathed methane. The leader of the Unggoy introduced itself, "Hello. I am Poondat, leader of this world. The Chancellor has given me permission to talk with you."

Garrus had to prevent surprise from showing on his face. Even for a turian that was a blunt introduction. Considering the fleet above, he thought that this race would have some diplomats, or at least educated individuals who could be somewhat difficult to decipher their meaning. Not that he was complaining, of course. Spirits could take the politicians, Garrus would take someone who spoke their mind outright every day.

"I am Garrus Vakarian of the 29th Citadel Exploratory Fleet, assigned Representative to the Unggoy people, and Captain of the THV _Covenant_ ," Garrus replied, greeting the Unggoy with more decor, as much as he hated it. The Citadel Council would get the reports of the contact, and appearing too casual wouldn't reflect well on him or Saren.

At his words, the Unggoy stopped, instantly going from confident and welcoming to suspicious and afraid. Whispers in the Unggoy language passed between the fifteen beings, although the leader seemed to at least keep his composure somewhat intact.

"Why that name?" Poondat asked, obviously very cautious but also curious.

Garrus considered the question. The naming ceremony of the _Covenant_ had taken place shortly after the discovery of the Super-Relay seven years ago. It was a ship built alongside hundreds of others for the exploration of this galaxy, and had been chosen to lead the way through the Super-Relay before the keel had even been laid.

It was an agreement, between the galaxy of the Citadel and Andromeda, or the Milky Way, as the humans called it. An agreement that the new galaxy would allow the Citadel Council races to prosper, to show their might, and to flourish above all others.

Or at least, that was what it was advertised as.

After dealing with the Council directly, Garrus was decidedly underwhelmed by such platitudes. He remembered how enthusiastic and confident he had been, making the speech to the galaxy right before the _Covenant_ went through the Relay. It seemed so long ago, and now that he looked back, Garrus could only call himself naive.

The Council needed to pull its head out of its ass and stop trying to boss around races like the humans and these Unggoy. There was absolutely no way that this small race that could barely speak in diplomatic terms would be able to take on the humans, even as weak as they were now.

In fact, the meek nature of the Unggoy party at the mention of the THV _Covenant_ would almost match that of former slaves rescued from the Batarians in Citadel space. Very interesting.

All these thoughts flew through Garrus' mind as he answered, "I did not choose the name. It was named because those who govern our council of species wanted to establish a bond between this galaxy and our own."

"We have been bound by such things before. Never again," the Unggoy leader stated firmly. His confidence slowly quieted the disturbed whispers of his fellows, although several still looked doubtful.

Well, there went fairly close to any chance of these beings joining the Citadel. It was curious, though, that they mentioned being limited before. It matched the theory on slavery that Garrus had suspected, which was concerning as it meant that either the humans had enslaved them and they had revolted, or that there was another race who had done the same.

Perhaps these Unggoy fought against humanity, but managed to assure their freedom while doing so. Doubtful, considering that promises made during war were almost always disregarded by the winning side, but possible, nonetheless.

Saren stepped forward slightly and inquired, "You won't even give our offer to join us consideration?"

"There are many reasons why we will not join you, but our freedom is foremost. We will determine our own fate, not have it be dictated to us," Poondat declared, pushing the little education he had received for his role to its limits. Emotion colored his voice through the mask he wore, showing that this was a very touchy subject.

"Would you at least be willing to discuss continued interaction, even if you will not join us?" Garrus asked.

"That would be okay to us. If you are to continue exploring, there is some information you must know and places you should not go," the Unggoy said. With that, he turned, leading the Citadel party of turians and one scientist Salarian towards the building. The Unggoy behind Poondat parted, allowing their leader to pass before waddling to the sides of the trailing Citadel party.

As they made their way inside, Garrus noted that the entire structure seemed to follow the architectural style of the alien ships above. Curved purple plates made up the hallways and doors, with lights activating as a central hub turned to unlock the three sections of each barrier. Blue lights seemed to be the standard issue lightning, as no other colors besides blue or purple were evident in the structure.

Eventually, they reached a room lit with yet more blue lights and covered in purple metal. In the center was a table, which seemed to utilize the same material as everything else. The Unggoy made their way to one side of the surface while Garrus and Saren sat at the other, although the rest of the team stayed upright in case of any issues.

Poondat began the official meeting immediately, "What do you want?"

A bit put off by the slightly hostile tone, Garrus took a second to respond, "To know your culture and people, and hopefully establish a good relation between the Citadel and Unggoy Republic. There are many items that you may be interested in trading for, or perhaps if your people wish to travel to Citadel space, that could be negotiated."

"No Unggoy will travel to your planet nor trade with your people. There are other issues here at home to deal with."

"You can make that decision for your people? A Republic without freedoms or rights?" Garrus asked.

The Unggoy leader scoffed and replied, "It has nothing to do with rights. No company would risk their ships to travel so far, and the military of the Republic is needed here at home to defend against other threats."

"Like the Kig-Yar?" Garrus pressed, trying to pronounce the odd name.

"You know of the pirate filth?"

Saren and Garrus shared a glance before the latter explained, "We encountered a ship not far from your system. It was significantly different from yours and was decidedly unfriendly. After we destroyed it, it sent out a message in a language we understood. It mentioned Kig-Yar."

"Then you know of that danger. Pirates are jerks, and only deserve death. Some of the bird-people are tolerable in society, but most are a nuisance," the Unggoy elaborated. He glanced towards one of his fellows, who left the room. Unknown to the CEF, the small creature was about to send a message to the Wardens of the Mantle informing them that the Unknowns had already encountered the Kig-Yar.

"Are they the only race you have encountered?" Garrus asked.

Poondat examined the turian captain extensively before answering slowly, "There are many other threats that lurk in the Endless Dark. Big Sharp Tooths, Stupid Jerk Brutes, Floating Squishies, and Heavy Metal Worms. All are dangerous, but the Mantle protects all."

"The Mantle?" Saren interjected.

"It protects all. Unggoy would not survive if not for the Mantle. All life has a right to lead themselves, what the Reclaimers call freedom. The Living Time, the idea of interaction between races in the cosmos, is sheltered under the protection of the Reclaimers," Poondat explained, making sense to the Unggoy by their nods, but not helping the Citadel group understand any of their philosophy beyond life being protected.

Garrus took a second to formulate a loaded question, "You think that these Reclaimers could stand against the Citadel? They can protect you better than us?" From the sound of it, this could be the race that attacked the humans and that the CEF 7/29th was looking for.

"Reclaimers are dangerous. They stood up to the Big ones, the Heavy ones, the Stupid ones. The Liars, rejected from their own Great Journey for their sins. Bombs to destroy their fleets and kill their armies. Booms that flattened continents," the Unggoy leader insisted, obvious respect and slight fear in his voice.

Saren argued, "Weapons that destroy huge areas aren't new. You say that these Reclaimers follow this concept of protecting life. What is their solution if their Mantle is violated?"

"The Demons would come for you, and you would die."

* * *

 **First Age of Realization, Seventh Solar Cycle/2nd Day of 4th Month, 2438/February 9, 2567**

 **Wardens of the Mantle Summit**

 **Harvest**

Designated as the meeting ground for the Wardens due to its history and location, Harvest had been greatly affected by the terraforming effort of the UNSC. Whereas the planet used to be covered in glass, there were now sparse fields of dirt as the technology slowly transformed the surface. It was estimated that the planet might be, if not great, at least tolerable to live on within the next few decades.

As the members of the Wardens gathered for the scheduled meeting, they were protected from the harsh outer atmosphere by an odd combination of architecture from the different races. Built as a display of cooperation, each race of the Warden's had their own section of the building, fit for their needs and considered sovereign territory on the neutral planet.

This specific meeting would be focused on the Unggoy first contact, as both a check in and to allow a long-term plan to be established for further contact. Other discussions on issues from trade to the Kig-Yar pirate infestations would be held in the coming weeks, but those were put on the backburner in comparison to the primary event.

Since the Unggoy were the main contact with this new species, their Chancellor was the first to speak after greetings and introductions were finished, "Thank you to all members of the Wardens for their adherence to our request. It has greatly helped in keeping discussions focused on information. However, the Republic feels that relations have grown so that other Warden species may meet the Turians, as they call themselves."

"Humanity is not ready to meet another race," Peter Lebeau, the UEG President, declared immediately. He continued, "Our citizens are uneasy enough with the Wardens and only tolerate human involvement because it is seen as a protection against another Covenant. However wrong they may be, that is the way it is. Meeting a potentially hostile race at this time is not in our interests. Humanity is tired of war."

"For the moment, perhaps," Lydus commented. The UEG leader nodded to the Jiralhanae Chieftain, acknowledging his point. "While I have no desire to meet this new species myself, it is probable that other Jiralhanae want to do so. Specifically, the one who has ships stationed to assist in your defence."

Fupklaz took a second to think before rpelying, "Atriox's help with the protection of Mupmup is appreciated. If he wishes to meet them, he may do so. As for all other species, if you are going to arrive, please do so in more subtle ships. One carrier will spook them as is."

"While the Swords are willing to make contact with these Turians and their allies, we shall wait. The dishonor of the Covenant stays our feet and urges caution against an unknown faction. When more is known, we may change our stance," Thel 'Vadam announced.

With the Big Three now clear on their opinions, the rest of the leaders began announcing their intentions. This went quickly, as it usually did with a group that skirted around political poncery by habit. As the day progressed, the talks moved from decisive to informational as the Unggoy Chancellor and ONI Admiral presented what had been learned about the Turians, their Citadel Council, and their galaxy.

* * *

 **November 10th, 2157/9th Day of 19th Month, 2437/November 10, 2566**

 **System Alliance Parliament**

 **Terra, Systems Alliance Homeworld**

Five months after first contact and the Mass Relay route between the Citadel and Systems Alliance was finally finished. Laid out by Citadel ships to the edge of Alliance space, the weaker Relays made by the Citadel species emulated the huge constructs in their own galaxy. Using the same mass-negation corridor of a comm-buoy, each piece measured 250 meters by human standards and could fling a ship several hundred light-years.

While impressive, they were still much slower than usual Mass Relay travel and took months for a ship to navigate. Communications were instantaneous due to the built in comm-buoys, but ships were much slower. Even if a Citadel ship came through the Relays, they still had to go to a nearby Alliance outpost instead of any populated world.

In the eyes of the Citadel races, it was paranoid and irritating. For the Alliance, it was merely standard protocol for survival.

To allow for communications between the Systems Alliance Parliament and their Ambassador on the Citadel, the SA had set up its own communication protocols. This system had all messages from the Citadel buoy network going into a hub in the Alliance outpost that could communicate with Terra.

Several reports had already been sent along to be reviewed by the Alliance Parliament before they discussed the terms presented by the Citadel. The current schedule had a meeting of the Parliament and their Ambassador to discuss the ongoing negotiations.

Included in this data stream had been the Citadel Codex, allowing Parliament members to reference Citadel views on a subject that had been mentioned by Udina. As expected, the most heavily examined portions were on Artificial Intelligence, ships and vehicles, and historical relations with species.

So far, many in Parliament were not pleased.

AI had been one of the only areas that the human race had an advantage in when they faced the Enemy. Giving up that advantage would be unacceptable, even with the added firepower of alien fleets.

The Citadel Council had made it quite clear that there would be no alternative, however. They had nearly gone to war with the Geth, a Quarian Collective Intelligence that had been mistakenly identified as form of Artificial Intelligence. While any Alliance tech worth their degree would be able to distinguish between the two, the technologically inept Council races seemed to be incapable of the same.

Engineers on the Alliance ships at the Citadel had attempted to explain the difference, but they didn't get far. Collective Intelligence was seen in almost all group interactions in all animals, from ants back on Earth to communications on the Extranet. Artificial Intelligence had to be created, it wouldn't just appear from prolonged interactions.

It was all for nothing, though, as the Council had dismissed them. Any race affiliated with the Citadel would be banned from developing, maintaining, or otherwise utilizing Artificial Intelligence in any form.

There were also issues on the Farixen Treaty, Prothean technology, and Mass Effect locations for the expansion of the Systems Alliance. All of these and more were planned to be discussed when the SA Parliament contacted Ambassador Udina for direct communication.

Several minutes later and the last members of the governing body of the Alliance were present. With the semicircular seating plan on the debate floor, each member had an acceptable view of the large screen on which Udina would be shown. All other personnel had been cleared out of the room, leaving the leaders alone in the massive chamber.

The symbol of the Alliance appeared as the screen powered on before switching to a view of the Alliance's Ambassador to the Citadel Council. As this happened, the AI that managed the chamber announced, "Connection secured through Citadel comm network. All data encrypted and protected from unauthorized sources. Attempted breaches will be monitored and recorded to allow threat appraisal."

"Thank you, Arissa," the House Speaker said, addressing the AI trusted by all Representatives. Considering that her job was to protect and secure all Systems Alliance data from unauthorized access, Arissa held a great amount of responsibility for each Representative, no matter their opinions or perspectives.

The Speaker continued, "I am now calling into session this meeting of the House of Representatives of the Systems Alliance Parliament. All information discussed in this session is classified and will not leave this room. Systems Alliance Ambassador to the Citadel Council Donnel Udina is contacting us from the alien capital to report and clarify information which he has sent on agreements and terms for the Systems Alliance to become a member of the Citadel."

"The Floor is now open for questions, opinions, and suggestions for the proposed motion of joining the Citadel species and Systems Alliance into one united bloc. Please wait to be recognized and keep to the rules of this body. A vote is not expected today on any issues, agreements, or treaties that have been presented. Ambassador Udina is now recognized to summarize his discussions with the Citadel Council."

Udina nodded and began, "Thank you, Speaker. As per the instructions given to me by this body, I have opened negotiations with the Citadel Council on behalf of the Systems Alliance. The terms for access to a reliable source of Mass Effect were presented and a deal was reached, one which allows the Alliance to position Council forces in front of a possible Covenant invasion."

At this news, several members nodded, pleased at that result. Since the Alliance was still rebuilding from their exodus, any forewarning of Covenant presence would be vital. Sacrificing alien allies to ensure their survival was acceptable, considering that the last time Humanity had encountered aliens, they were nearly destroyed.

"Unluckily, the Council has requested that a base be allowed on Terra itself," the Ambassador continued.

"Speaker?" one of the Representatives asked.

"Stand and be recognized," came the response.

After doing so, the member continued, "That term is not acceptable. Terra is our home, the cradle of Humanity now that Earth is presumably lost. Allowing any alien to set foot on it is against everything that we have fought for. Even if we could keep our location secret by transporting them in our ships, it is still far too risky with how weak we are."

"The House Minority carries this opinion."

"As does the Majority. Ambassador, we rejected the Council's terms. A possible counter might be for bases to be established on outer Alliance planets," came the reply.

Mutterings passed between members of the Minority before their leader replied, "Preferably they would be installed along the warning buffer we have established against the Enemy. The sooner the Council becomes embroiled in conflict with the Covvies, the more time we will have to save the human race. Which particular bodies can be decided later, but that is an acceptable solution to counter with."

No vote was taken as the only decision reached was a general suggestion to guide Udina in discussions with the Council. Specific treaties or laws needed to join the Citadel community would be passed in the coming years as agreements were hammered out.

"Excellent. The next major sticking point is, as many feared, is Artificial Intelligence. Ambassador?" the Speaker asked.

Udina took a second before responding, "The Citadel Council has made its position quite clear on this. They have recently had an issue with a Collective Intelligence known as the Geth. This has sparked fears of Artificial Intelligence, showing their ignorance on the subject. Even after Alliance personnel tried to explain it, they have persisted in this demand. According to the Council, there will be no negotiation on this term."

One of the members stood, prompting the Speaker to announce, "The Floor recognizes the current Representative."

"We will not abandon AI. If the Citadel wishes to delude themselves about the value of AI, that's their problem. I know that I speak for the Systems Alliance public, military, and government when I say that AI are integral to our existence, security, and stability. They are sentient beings and have been a part of human society for centuries and were one of the few advantages we possessed against the Enemy," the member declared.

As the rep sat down, the Speaker continued, "Seeing as public knowledge of our AI abilities is already limited following our exodus, I think that a program could be deployed at the staging area for the fleet."

What the Majority Leader was speaking of was a planet on the outer edge of the same system as Terra. While rather barren, the fleet that allowed the Alliance founders to flee was orbiting the body, ready to conduct an emergency evacuation of Terra if the Covenant arrived.

Most of the ships used in the retreat from UNSC space had been evacuation ships from planets attacked by the Covenant. Hundreds of ships, carrying tens of thousands away from the destruction, only to have nowhere to go if they escaped.

That was where the Insurrectionists came in. With a fleet of stolen ships, along with the few colony ships that had been salvaged from the Enemy advance, many of these evacuation groups were attached to the growing exodus group.

Unlike the figure of 15,000 that Udina had given to the Council, the true fleet was far, far bigger. It was expected that the Council would question this number, seeing as transporting millions of people with that number of vessels would require almost every ship to have been a large colony ship. As it was, only seventeen colony ships had made the journey, opening slipspace ruptures so that other ships without slipspace drives could follow in their wake.

Many of the ships that had come were from outer colonies that had been abandoned by UNSC forces. Without oversight, the Insurrectionists could evacuate large populations on the multitude of ships that were capable of carrying people. This strategy had left massive numbers of people on evacuation transports as well as cargo freighters, which were numerous, albeit usually lacking in a slipspace drive.

It was common, however, for those loyal to the UNSC to stay in the colonies, perishing later when the Covenant inevitably attacked. This was not to say that all colonies had been evacuated peacefully. It was quite common for evacuations to occur as the Covenant attacked, although the number of survivors in those cases were significantly lower than calmer population displacements.

With almost 300 colonies to draw separatist allies from, the exodus amassed a fleet of almost 200,000 vessels. While quite large when together, the actual number of ships from each colony was less than 700, with most of those being mass-produced evac transports or cargo haulers.

This massive group consisted of over 100,000 evac transports with a capacity of 600 people, 29,000 cargo ships with space for 5,000 each, 70,000 large evac transports for 2,000 per ship, and a fleet of 191 military ships that the Innies had stolen from the UNSC.

As it was, most of the ships used for fleeing from the Covenant had been destroyed, as the Council had been told. This included almost all of the evac transports and many of the cargo ships. This scrapping project allowed for the SA to build their homes on Terra without needing to go through the extensive process of setting up mining and processing facilities before housing.

The remaining vessels were on station at the staging point for a rapid retreat if necessary. All slipspace-capable ships were stationed in this fleet, leaving the fleet of Mass Effect vessels to guard and alert the Alliance if there was an attack.

With the thousands of vessels with technology unknown to the Citadel already present, the obvious place for a secretive AI development facility would be on the planet below. Several supply bases were already established, each producing materials and products to replace and repair those in the fleet, including slipspace drives. Since the Council would be in a tizzy if they found the fleet anyways, having yet another illegal activity there would probably make little difference.

As such, several calls of agreement sounded from the body of representatives. Details would be determined once Udina was gone, since he didn't need to know specifics on that particular issue.

"Now that we have reached a solution for that, I wish to move onto this 'Treaty of Farixen' that the Council has proposed," the Speaker prompted.

Attention turned once more to Udina as he explained, "I have sent a copy of the Treaty with my report, but I will summarize the document. It is a rather simple agreement stating that the Systems Alliance shall not build or operate more than seven ships that are assigned the class of 'Dreadnought'. Such ships are a kilometer long or more, with a large mass accelerator running along the spine of the vessel."

Yet another member rose and was allowed to speak, "As we all know, the Alliance already operates far more vessels of that size, most notably in cruisers and modified colony ships. Will the Alliance be oh-so-graciously 'allowed' to build smaller vessels at will? How will the Council be monitoring the creation and utilization of such vessels?"

"There is no limit on smaller vessels, which will allow us to utilize the ships with Mass Effect drives as scouts, explorers, or however the Alliance military sees fit. As for enforcement, they have requested to send an Inspector, for lack of a better description. While a candidate has not been chosen, it was mentioned that they would likely come with science teams to investigate the Prothean beacon. Obviously, this would mean that they would be coming to Terra," Udina explained.

"We shall need to converse on this Farixen Treaty and its implications before we can give you direction on that issue," the Speaker said. He continued, "As we have limited time and already much to discuss, I will continue on the subject of the Beacon. From your report, the Council was sceptical of its warning?"

Udina nodded and replied, "Indeed. The Council seems to almost disbelieve in its existence at all. They have outright rejected the concept of the Reapers and the threat they represent. I formally requested direction and guidance on how to approach this issue. Push too hard and it could harm other negotiations."

Several minutes went by as the members present discussed a possible solution. Unlike the previous issues, this was one of actual contention in the House. Some members believed that the Alliance would stand a better chance in the Citadel galaxy, while others wished to consolidate the population on and around Terra.

The fear of the Reapers was the main issue that the Alliance had with establishing colonies in the Citadel's galaxy. Any possibility of fighting a two-front war between the genocidal Covenant and the might of a faction that could crush a galaxy was to be avoided at all cost. That was agreed on. What was not was which path to follow to avoid such a situation.

"Leave the topic of the Reaper's for another time, Ambassador," the House Speaker directed after conferring with the governing body. "It's their galaxy, if they wish to ignore the threat then that is their loss. Once relations have grown strong, we can push the concept with more confidence. The Reapers did not attacked the Protheans when they were in this galaxy, which leaves protection from the Enemy a higher priority."

Udina bowed his head in acknowledgment before replying, "Understood. As our negotiations proceed, I shall continue to send reports on progress. Seeing as contact has been made and maintained, the Citadel has requested to allow a channel of communication from this Parliament to one of their Ambassadors."

"Specifics of agreements would be determined through this Council Representative. As mentioned in my report, the Citadel leadership desires to send this being to Terra to help smooth relations. The current leading candidate is an Asari, one Matriarch Benezia," Udina said.

"This Council Ambassador would be welcome, provided that it is alone," the Speaker responded. He glanced over to the Minority Leader, receiving a nod in return.

"The Matriarch has requested that her family be allowed to accompany her," Udina said.

"Only immediate family, spouse and children. They will be transported by one of the Alliance ships on station at the Citadel when it returns to human space."

Udina nodded, "I shall present the terms and alterations before continuing negotiations."

Before the Ambassador could disconnect, the Speaker asked, "These agreements are being made in the name of the Systems Alliance, correct?"

"As directed, I have taken extreme care in vetting all agreements, treaties, and documents so that they are binding to the Systems Alliance and not the human race. The independent planets of the Alliance are not bound by this law, as established by the Founding Declaration of the Systems Alliance. If Earth held against all odds, they will not be beholden to these agreements."

As if the UEG would even pay attention to something like that. Many in Parliament remembered their fight for freedom from the oppression of the UEG and UNSC, rather than the fight of the UNSC against the Covenant. In their minds, if the UEG survived, it would stay the same oppressive state it had been before.

This mentality had led to the creation of the Systems Alliance. Rather than the centralized government of the UEG, the Alliance was merely a facade to present a united front and emergency leadership if needed. All planets were free to follow their own direction, whether that was with or away from the SA.

Not that any world had any intention of leaving the Alliance. With the Covenant behind them, the Citadel races in front, and the threat of the Reapers, the only path to survival would be with the strong military that the SA was building.

"Understood, Ambassador. Your input and considerations are appreciated. You have your new directions and guidelines. Good luck, and make the Alliance proud," the Speaker ordered before closing the connection.

With that, the Parliament went into discussions on the true issues of the SA. After all, there wasn't much disagreement on the dealings with the Citadel, seeing as almost all of the decisions had been made after the encounter with the _Spirit of Fire_ and the Council CEF.

* * *

 **All politicians are liars, but not all liars are politicians.**

 **Council lied about taking the SA's recommendation against going towards the UEG seriously. SA lied about many things as well. Obviously they aren't going to just give up the only advantages they have against the Covenant. The only other alien contact the SA has had has been with the Covenant, they aren't exactly happy about meeting the Citadel races nor are they willing to give up concessions.**

 **Also, in comparison to ~700 ships per planet, Earth currently has about 50,000 vessels with a displacement over 10,000 tons, or something along those lines. Yes, on colonies it will be smaller, but in my mind, it IS plausible.**

 **I know that some of you may have read the version of the chapter with Udina conceding to the Council. I have changed that to the Parliament approving things, as seen here. Apologies about the confusion, that was my fault. However, it was still my plan to have him lying. I proofread that part and didn't really think about how weak Humanity seemed until it was pointed out, as I knew that he was lying.**

 **Unggoy ship names are fun. Actually, writing Unggoy in general is just fun. For the Nipple!**

 **Speaking of which, if you have no idea why the Unggoy shout that line, just look at some Halo 3 Grunt dialogue. They mention nipples. Often. Apparently Unggoy are big on boobs.**

 **Kind of unsure about the Unggoy and CEF meeting. I do like how I ended it, though.**

 **The governing body of the SA is a Parliament with an elected House of Representatives. At least I assume so. I know that in canon, it's a Parliament based on Arcturus Station and is described as a Representative Body.**

 **If anyone is interested in time conversions between the Gregorian Calendars of Humanity and the Galactic Standard of ME, I got lazy and developed a simple program to compute the GS years, months, day, and hours from an input of human days. So, for a period of 241 human days, it will output the equivalent GS amount of time, which is 12 months, 4 days, 6 hours, and some change. Both time systems are drawn from canon and are the true conversions. I will fully admit, however, that I have not factored in the gravitational time distortion, which would muck up stuff a bit.**

 **I then proceeded to become even lazier and added a function to add the output date from the calculation to a date given by the user. So adding Year: 2438 Month: 14 Day: 5 to output of Year: 0 Month: 12 Day: 4 would give you Year: 2439 Month: 6 Day: 9.**

 **So, the time difference between the Citadel GS standard and the Gregorian Human standard is now fixed.**


	7. A Leader is Forged

Disclaimer: I own no franchise mentioned in this work. Halo belongs to 343, Mass Effect to Bioware.

 **Full warning, this chapter will be a bit different from the others. It's mainly about Shepard, her growing up, and some highlighted experiences. I figured I'd write this because I don't particularly like any of the Canon Shepard origins, because I gave Chief and Blue team their own chapter, and because I liked writing it.**

 **It is canon that Commander Shepard was born April 11, 2154. That is still her birthday in this fic when going by SA time. That equates to April 11, 2563 for the UNSC Calendar.**

 **Now for Review Responses! If you don't care, skip to the breakpoint below. For responses, later reviews will be listed first, because I'm lazy and can't be bothered to reverse-order them.**

 **RaptorusMaximus, Darkcush, Guest #1, Athran, Andy021, The0Hidden0Key, Guest #2, Major Simi, Gbav115, Guest #3, Zeus501, kamikage86, CReaper210, SpecterXCove, Zoltan-Atreyu, Burgs, Leman42x, Emberframe, AndreyKl, K, Guardian of the Inheritance: Thank you! Here you are.**

 **HyperionATLAS: Wait no more, until the end of this chapter! I've played BL, BL2, and BL:PS. Loved all of them, BL2 was best in my opinion. If you wish to learn more, feel free to send me a PM!**

 **Tony nylund: I believe that the Domain itself** _ **is**_ **a Precursor AI. At least that's what I remember from Lore. Already have a bunch of Extended Lore stuff in this, I won't shy away from using more!**

 **Me Myself and I: The Comm Buoys are already mini-Mass Relays. Building the big Relays is FAR beyond the Citadel, but small ones should just be shaping the Mass Effect field to a tunnel for a massless corridor for other ships. I already expand on how the Relays work and how the Citadel has them written out in the next chapter. I understand your concern, however, so here's a hint: Much as an Element Zero core is limited in how much mass it can reduce, a Relay tunnel is limited in how much mass can interfere with the tunnel before it collapses. I would use the QEC, except that then travel for ships would take years at Citadel FTL speeds. I figured going a bit unbelieveable was better than having each trip from the SA to the Citadel take several years. For comm security, Alliance has an AI monitoring the channel. Nothing short of the Geth or Reapers would be able to challenge that. Thanks for the extensive review!**

 **brucec22180: I can't write at 10,000 words a week. I can usually do about 5,000 a week, with work and life. We will see more on people** _ **from**_ **the** _ **Spirit of Fire**_ **, but not really much for the boarding. There wasn't much to go on. Serina wakes Red Team to chase off the invaders, as I wrote. Not much more to it.**

 **RDJ: Hah! I hadn't heard that, but that is hilarious. Now you have me thinking about having an Unggoy scientist work with Mordin. Oh...hehehe**

 **Chronus1326, EffervescentNova, Guest #4: Now that you mention that, I somewhat remember something along those lines... but obviously I completely forgot when I was writing that chapter! :/ Much appreciated for the pointer! Still leaving it as is, it's amusing and not worth correcting in the AN.**

 **fdsadsaw: Thanks, and meetings are coming up. ONI is well funded for a reason, and it isn't to be obvious.**

 **The Mexican Taco Overlord: Excellent name, and, well, there will be interactions.**

 **7: As far as I could tell, none of those ODP's were in Outer Colonies, where the Innies were strongest. Anyways, building a big MAC isn't harder, it's just upscaling. The issue came in mostly with cost and power consumption, which is why the UNSC had to build ground-based power for their ODP grid. The UNSC would've mentioned it, except that there was no information on these species. More had been learned from the Unggoy than by the small encounter with no actual Contact. Glad you like the chapter! :)**

 **Ominous Olethros: There are a** _ **lot**_ **of ways to get around the Farixen Treaty. I mean, technically the** _ **Infinity**_ **wouldn't be in violation, as it's main gun doesn't run 80% of it's length. It's a stupid Treaty and even the SA in ME Canon knew it. How did Poondat give away Warden worlds? He revealed no navigational information, and any ships leaving Mupmup would do so by slipspace, which the Citadel could not track. Thanks for the review!**

 **Kabuto S. Inferno: Thank you very much for the extensive review and praise! Addressed the grammatical errors through PM, so thank you. I can't catch everything. Yeah, the scene between Atriox and Lasky is drawn from Borderlands: Pre-Sequel. Will check out the fic, sounds interesting.**

 **Guest #5: Glad to hear you like it! The Greater Ark was destroyed by the Flood in the Forerunner-Flood War with the Last Precursor/First Gravemind. As for Shield Worlds, it's not a matter of** _ **how**_ **. We here in the 21st century have sufficient understanding of physics and structural engineering to create a Dyson Sphere. The issue is material cost. Since the UEG/UNSC is consolidating forces instead of expanding like before the War, they are not diverting resources to create worthless civilian projects for a population that's been borderline annihilated. Yes, Precursors, and by extension Flood, wins. End of story. That's why I neutralized the Flood off the bat. I want a story, not a slaughter.**

 **anotamous: Biggest ship is now the Gerald R. Ford-class supercarrier. As for ship sizes, evac ships were pretty small in Halo: Reach. Mass evacuation obviously could happen, though, as something like 10 billion people were evacuated off of Earth in Halo 2 to 3. I understand it's rather far out, but it was the most plausible scenario I could get to work.**

 **Madara123: It was a reference to Borderlands: Pre-Sequel. Beyond that, it shows the familiarity of Lasky working with Atriox and the Banished. Also, it was amusing. And yes, Banished/Batarians...hehehe. Thanks for the review! :)**

 **linx007: Sorry to worry you. Glad you are reassured and thanks for reading.**

 **Bloodwolf432: Saren isn't an idiot and the Unggoy had a halfway competent leader. Best scenario would've been that they be all buddy-buddy instantly, but that isn't reality. Agreed on alien species' names. I've only really learned them as I've written.**

 **ThePizziaMan: Indeed, I hope to keep the Unggoy involved with the whole game. Will be interesting.**

 **Thank you all for the reviews! Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **January 14, 2160/15th Day of 19th Month, 2439 (January 14, 2569)**

 **Jane Shepard**

 **Terra, Systems Alliance Homeworld**

Shepard was six and on her way to the first day of Primary School when she first saw an alien.

An Asari, with blue skin, no ears, and crests where hair would be, but otherwise the same as the humans around it.

It was also alone. Every human avoided it, making their way to others. Every time it tried to interact with someone, they moved away, leaving the blue imposter forlorn.

So, mustering every bit of courage she had, Shepard made her way to the Asari. Why it was here or what her classmates thought of her didn't cross her mind, only that it was alone. Shepard knew alone, and knew that she hated it.

"Hi. My name is Jane," Shepard greeted as she stuck out her hand towards the being.

The alien looked at her hand in confusion before slowly reaching out her own as she replied, "Mine is Liara."

So it was that Shepard met her first alien on that day as well.

* * *

 **February 13, 2160/6th Day of 1st Month, 2440 (February 13, 2569)**

 **Jane Shepard**

 **Terra, Systems Alliance Homeworld**

It was almost a month later when Shepard met Liara's mother. Tall and imposing, the Asari Matriarch had arrived earlier than usual to retrieve Shepard's friend. Jane would usually be on the bus and gone by the time Liara could leave.

The two friends were talking before Jane had to leave when the elder Asari interrupted them. As the Matriarch inspected Shepard, Liara nervously introduced them, "Jane, this is my mom, Benezia T'soni. Mom, this is Jane, my friend."

"I've heard many things about you. It is good to meet a friend of Liara's," Benezia said.

"Thank you for letting Liara be friends with me, Miss T'soni," Jane replied, trying to be respectful to the adult.

Benezia smiled, "Excellent manners! I think the proper title is Mrs. T'soni. Liara's father is with me here on Terra."

Jane looked past Liara's mother to see the buses getting ready to leave. She quickly responded, "It was good meeting you! I need to go home now. Goodbye, Mrs. T'soni. See you tomorrow, Liara." With that, Jane waved to Benezia and gave Liara a quick hug before running to the large transport.

"So?" Liara asked, looking up towards her mother.

"She seems like a nice girl and a good friend," Benezia answered, looking at where Jane had gone before leading Liara to the waiting car.

* * *

 **March 7, 2160/6th Day of 3rd Month, 2440 (March 7, 2569)**

 **Jane Shepard**

 **Terra, Systems Alliance Homeworld**

The day after fighting with your friend sucked. That was all Jane could tell. She didn't feel right or good about some stupid scuffle over nothing. All it did was made her think about it and regret that Liara no longer wanted to be her friend.

As she walked into the classroom, Jane glanced around for the Asari. Considering the crests on all asari, it would be fairly easy to see her. Oh, and she was blue. That helped too.

She wasn't there. Shepard made her way over to the table that her and Liara usually sat at for class. No one else was there, and once more Jane was alone.

At least that was what she told herself as she buried her head in her arms. Reality, of course, did not adhere to the thoughts of any being, and displayed this in full as Liara walked in the door of the room alongside her mother. Jane, being busy moping about, did not see this.

Her attention was drawn when Benezia sternly spoke up, "I believe you two have something to sort out."

Looking up at the Asari Matriarch, Jane had the errant thought that Liara's mother could be really scary. Even Hannah Shepard, Jane's mother and an Admiral in the growing Alliance fleet, had never given her such a look.

Shepard brought her gaze down to Liara, both in hope and to get away from the strangely irritated and exasperated eyes of Mrs. T'soni.

Liara looked very nervous, with her arms crossed over her stomach and her focus on Jane's feet. With a quick step forward, Shepard wrapped her arms around the Asari and whispered near where her ears would be, "I'm sorry."

A second passed before blue arms unfolded and returned the gesture. Liara whispered back, "Me too."

"Excellent. I'll be back later, have a good day you two," Benezia said above them, apparently satisfied that her work was done.

As the Matriarch left, the two children split. Shepard looked into Liara's eyes and asked, "Friends Forever, no matter what?"

"I promise to always come back to you," Liara replied.

So it was that Shepard had her first fight with a friend and learned that just because stupid things were said didn't make them true.

* * *

 **August 16, 2160/12th Day of 10th Month, 2438 (August 16, 2569)**

 **Jane Shepard**

 **Terra, Systems Alliance Homeworld**

By the end of their first year, Liara and Jane had firmly cemented their friendship. Every once in a while there was a fight or argument, but none so bad as their first.

Shepard was the one to first propose a sleepover after their last day of school. Liara, having picked up on many human oddities such as this, was quick to agree.

Unluckily, being all of seven years old and therefore still beholden to her mother, Jane first had to ask permission. This would have been fine, except that Hannah Shepard insisted on meeting Liara's mother over dinner. Even at seven Shepard could see how an Alliance Admiral and Asari Matriarch in the same room could become very interesting.

So it was that Liara came home with Jane, staying close to Shepard on the bus full of human children. As they got off at Shepard's house, they both spotted Benezia's car pulling into the driveway from behind the larger vehicle.

As the two children approached, two asari stepped out of the car. Jane could only identify Benezia in the yellow suit she was wearing while Liara obviously recognized both as she waved to them. Before either asari could speak, Liara pulled Jane towards the front door, leaving the two adults to follow behind them.

Jane barged through the door as soon as she got to it, shouting, "Mom! I'm home!"

Hannah Shepard appeared a second later, still in her uniform from work that day. She had gotten back from her monthly deployment the week before, leaving about another week before she left again. The standard six month deployment of her fleet was approaching as well, something that happened every eighteen months.

Jane's father was not present, having died shortly after Shepard's second birthday.

"Welcome back. I see you brought Liara and her family with you," the elder Shepard replied, looking up from the two girls to the asari behind them.

Benezia smiled and nodded as she said, "Benezia T'soni. It is good to finally meet you informally. Is it Miss Shepard or...?"

"While at the negotiation table, it's Admiral Shepard. Here at home, you can call me Hannah. Who is this?" she asked, looking over to the other asari.

The being in question leaned forward to shake Hannah's hand as she introduced herself, "Matriarch Aethyta T'soni. I'm Benezia's wife and Liara's father. We haven't met as I tend to stay away from the politics."

"Wait, you know each other? And how are you Liara's father? You're a girl," Jane accused, pointing first at Benezia and then Aethyta as confusion overtook her expression. Hannah rolled her eyes but stayed silent as Benezia caught her gaze, communicating that such childishness wasn't uncommon with Liara either.

"Benezia is the ambassador to the Systems Alliance from the Asari Republics and meets frequently with Admirals, Politicians, and other prominent humans. I'm here because of our relationship, which is how I'm Liara's father. Have you learned of Asari Melds yet?" Aethyta asked after her explanation.

Liara answered, "No. I don't think we learn those."

"Ah, well, you and Little Wing seem to be good friends. You'll learn when your older," Liara's father said, using the expression that kids everywhere hated.

Hannah gave the Asari a look that consisted of an odd assortment of amusement, exasperation, and irritation. Predicting something like that was bound to be thought of later, as it followed the rule that if someone shouldn't remember it, they would.

* * *

 **April 13, 2161/15th Day of 2nd Month, 2441 (April 13, 2570)**

 **Jane Shepard**

 **Terra, Systems Alliance Homeworld**

Hannah Shepard was deploying with her fleet for the standard six month deployment that was mandatory for all naval officers. Usually when this happened, Jane would stay at a naval daycare center specifically needed due to the high number of births in the population. Of course, the last deployment the elder Shepard had been on had been before Shepard was in school, making it much easier to change settings.

The proposed solution did not come from an adult, oddly enough, but from Jane asking if she could stay with Liara's family while Hannah was gone. Seeing as the Shepard family consisted of Jane and Hannah, there were no relatives to take temporary custody.

When asked, Benezia and Aethyta were amiable to the idea, seeing as Jane had been the one to reach out to Liara and stay with her so far. Since the meeting between the three parents last fall, they had met multiple times, building a good relation between Admiral and Matriarchs.

So it came to be that Jane Shepard spent the next half-year living with Liara and her mothers. Mother and father. Parents. Whatever. Jane still couldn't figure that one out yet.

Over the next few years, the favor was reciprocated as Benezia and her husband returned to Thessia to report to the Council of Matriarchs or Hannah was sent on other deployments.

* * *

 **August 11, 2164/12th Day of 4th Month, 2444 (August 11, 2573)**

 **Jane Shepard**

 **Terra, Systems Alliance Homeworld**

Whoever thought that wasting away a Saturday for Graduation was a moron. That was what Jane repeated to herself as she and Liara sat through the ceremony. Getting out of Primary School and into Middle School would be good and bad.

The good came from getting away from some of the bullies and other idiots who harassed Liara. While they usually stayed away when Jane was near, every once in awhile one would need to be beaten back into place. Needless to say, Jane had gotten quite good at fighting, and at finding the Principal's office.

Shepard regretted nothing, however, as had Liara taken action, she would've been kicked out of school. Why adults seemed so wary of Asari was beyond Jane, as the only answer she had received from her mother something about the War. Whatever that meant.

Most of the bad would come from the new bullies that would inevitably come into the picture with a new school. Almost everyone in their class would be going to the same school, but several other Primary institutions fed into the same system as well.

Either way, that concern fell away as the ceremony finished, making the break official for the new Middle Schoolers. Jane and Liara immediately made for the exit, along with the rest of the students.

So ended Primary School for Shepard, leaving her with a trusted friend and valuable experiences in how people treated those different than themselves. In several months from now, she would once more be at the bottom, fighting so that Liara didn't have to.

* * *

 **October 6, 2166/6th Day of 11th Month, 2446 (October 6, 2575)**

 **Jane Shepard**

 **Terra, Systems Alliance Homeworld**

Since Shepard's mother had just left for a long-term deployment, Jane was once again staying with Liara at her place. As it was currently Break between their Seventh and Eighth year at Middle School, the two girls spent most of their time relaxing around the house.

As Shepard surfed the extranet, she suddenly turned to Liara and asked, "How did you know our speech when we first met?"

Liara took a second to respond as she looked over from her machine, "Mother melded with me and shared your language with me."

"Huh." Silence reigned for a few seconds before Jane continued, "How did it feel?"

"What?"

"The Meld. Y'know, what was it like?" Jane asked bluntly.

A second passed as Liara considered the question before answering, "It was strange. Like I just knew the information, I guess. Mother and Father haven't really talked to me about the Meld."

"Can't look it up online, the Citadel and Alliance Extranets are separate," Shepard replied.

"Well, yes, I would've looked it up myself had it been there," Liara stated, irritation coloring her tone.

Jane moved her computer off her lap and moved closer to Liara on her bed before inquiring, "You really don't know anything about it?"

"Well, I know that information like language and memories can be transmitted and that it's used for more, uh, personal interactions."

"Which means?"

Liara glanced at Shepard nervously, "It has something to do with Asari Mating. I don't know how to start one or what it entails, before you ask."

"Is that what you father meant when she said that we'd learn when we were older?" Jane asked, leaning her head on Liara's shoulder. Liara didn't respond as she attempted to come up with some way to reply while looking away from Shepard in embarrassment. Jane laughed and continued, "I'm joking. I think she meant a little older still."

"That's still implying that it would happen," Liara pointed out hesitantly, ever the logical thinker.

Shepard considered this for a second, "Do you want to try?"

"Not now."

Jane rolled her eyes and replied, "Obviously, smartass."

* * *

 **August 15, 2167/4th Day of 7th Month, 2447 (August 15, 2576)**

 **Jane Shepard**

 **Terra, Systems Alliance Homeworld**

Another year done and they were through Middle School, with only the Break to go before starting Secondary. With the graduation ceremony already over and done with, both families were having a little party at Shepard's house.

A game of football was playing on the TV with the sound muted. Such games had quickly become popular among the Citadel populace, including American Football, Baseball, and Mixed Martial Arts.

With the adults talking over the game, Liara and Jane had wandered to Shepard's room to go through their papers and throw out the junk. Just the standard end of year toss out, the same process that every student went through.

"Would you, uh, that is, can... Do you want to go out to dinner tomorrow?"

It took Liara a few seconds to process the non sequitur, focused as she was on the task at hand. Once everything had registered, she glanced at Jane, "Are you asking me out on a date?"

"...Yes," Shepard replied after a pause before looking over to the asari.

"Don't you think it's a little early?" Liara asked.

Jane glanced away and responded, "I just don't want someone to hurt you in Secondary. I think it's normal to start dating soon, and I wanted to ask first. Sorry, I was thinking that we-"

"No!" Liara said, interrupting Jane. As Shepard looked up, the asari continued, "No, it isn't that. I don't want you to get hurt is all. From what some others say, Secondary can be unpleasant if you don't fit in. I would love to go, it sounds nice."

"Screw them, then. I'd prefer one true friend over a hundred fakes who can't accept you."

The next evening they met up for what they had excused as a shopping trip, leaving them alone for several hours. So it was that Shepard and T'soni became an item, known only to themselves and the few that were around and had looked at them in the city of millions.

* * *

 **April 11, 2168/6th Day of 19th Month, 2447 (April 11, 2577)**

 **Jane Shepard**

 **Terra, Systems Alliance Homeworld**

Shepard's fifteenth birthday had been going well so far. Liara had, as usual, teased her about being all of six days younger before congratulating her on catching up. There had been cake and presents, a tradition that the asari family had picked up from their time on Terra.

Currently they were laying on Shepard's bed, both laying on their sides with Liara held in the strong arms of the human. The contours of their bodies fit well together, with Jane's larger frame curled around the smaller body of her asari.

Their little moment was interrupted by a knock on the door, although the locked handle did not show any sign of interaction, which was good. While suspicious, a locked door could be explained away. Getting walked in on would be near-impossible to excuse without exposing their relationship.

As the couple made their way off the bed and to the door, they held hands for a second before separating as Jane pulled the door open. Matriarch Benezia was standing on the other side, inspecting one of the pictures that hung in the hallway.

With the door open, the asari glanced over and asked, "Can we talk to both of you for a bit?" Benezia turned away and began to make her way to the other two adults, leaving Liara and Jane standing in the doorway.

The two shared a look, sure that they had been discovered. Liara was the first to move, leaving Shepard's sight as she turned the corner where her mother had gone. Her back was straight and stiff, showing that she was nervous. Not that Jane wasn't, of course.

Gathering her courage and shunting away the flickers of embarrassment that hung at the edges of her feelings, Shepard started following Liara. As she passed the picture on the wall, Shepard glanced at it, seeing an image of her and Liara playing together on a beach by the ocean. Memories of the shared vacation bubbled up, reminding Jane of a simpler time, when she didn't have concepts of straight or gay.

This was going to suck. She wasn't ready to come out to her mother, and while Liara might have an easier time with her parents, that didn't help Shepard's nerves.

Well, nothing for it. Feet first into Hell, as her mother often said.

Jane entered the living room, seeing Liara sitting on a couch with the seat next to her open. Across from her were the three adults, with Benezia and Aethyta sitting on another couch while Jane's mother took up a seat in her usual chair.

As she sat down, Jane glanced over to Liara, noticing that her hands were clenched together in one big fist while she stared right between her parents. There was no reaction from the asari aside from a slight shift in posture to keep from sliding into Shepard's side.

With all participants gathered, the elder Shepard began, "You can relax, Liara. You're not in trouble and we understand why you're nervous. Both of you."

"Usually things such as this come much later in our long lives, Little Wing, but we understand why it needs to be done now. Humans live much shorter but harder than us, and so relationships start much earlier. We know that this will be uncomfortable, but you can ask us any questions at any time," Benezia continued, addressing Liara.

Aethyta picked up from there, making it obvious that this talk had been planned, "I know that most Asari get their information about Melds from the Extranet, but even if that source was available, it's our duty to inform you about it. We've talked with Hannah, and since Jane needs this talk as well, she can explain the human side of this."

Hannah took up the explanation, "Being in a relationship in Secondary School is normal. Both of you need to understand certain things to keep safe and healthy. Know that we are not and will not be mad with either you just because you are in a relationship. Obviously, you will need to keep up your grades to meet that standard, and all three of us reserve the right to revoke any relation if we have health or safety concerns."

"Understood, ma'am," Jane replied, the assurances only straining her nerves further. Liara apparently didn't trust herself to speak as she nodded sharply.

"None of that now. This needs to be discussed, so you might as well get settled in," Aethyta told them.

Benezia smiled slightly and said, "Now, as I understand it, humans like to call this The Birds and the Bees, although I think that The Talk works just as well."

Wait, what?

* * *

 **August 12, 2169/4th Day of 4th Month, 2449 (August 12, 2578)**

 **Jane Shepard**

 **Terra, Systems Alliance Homeworld**

Halfway through Secondary School already. That was hard to believe. Next year, they'd be upperclassmen, with only the seniors to claim superiority. Not that that had gotten them far, as any bully that tried to harass Liara had quickly acquired a few broken bones from Jane for their trouble.

At this thought, Shepard tightened her arms slightly around her asari. Liara turned her head slightly at this, but didn't move from her spot on the bed between Jane's legs. Her attention seemed to be fully focused on the video playing on the TV on Shepard's wall. Sitting up against the headboard as Shepard was, Liara would have to move forward and away to turn around, something that just wouldn't do.

While there were blankets on the bed, Liara seemed perfectly fine staying warm by leaning into Shepard's embrace. Of course, this wouldn't be an issue if they were wearing more than just underwear, but Jane wasn't about to complain about the contact.

The last pieces would be coming off later tonight anyways. How their annual end-of-school-year sleepover had changed indeed. For the better, in Shepard's opinion. Considering that their first time together hadn't been their last, Jane was certain that Liara was in agreement.

Such considerations came to an end as a knock sounded on the door.

This, in and of itself, wasn't all that concerning. Perhaps it was time for dinner, or maybe a question about grades, or something else trivial. Liara grabbed the remote to the TV, pausing the movie so that they could get dressed.

What was alarming was when the door handle moved slightly, showing that someone was trying to turn it. The possible questions turned from trivial to bothersome, such as why the door was locked, obviously. Shepard quickly thought of an excuse, maybe that they had been using the area to organize papers and didn't want to be disturbed. Easy enough.

Instead of stopping, however, the handle continued to turn, letting the door start to swing open. The rating of bothersome was quickly discarded for something more fitting, perhaps along the lines of catastrophic, perhaps even apocalyptic.

Of course, that this was likely an overreaction didn't cross Shepard's mind, nor did the idea of throwing Liara and herself apart. Jane's full attention was stuck on the opening door as the adrenaline froze her body and all thought of action for the second it took for the person knocking to stick their head in.

Why wasn't the door locked?!

Matriarch Aethyta T'soni appeared through the partially opened door, only to stop as she looked at the couple.

Jane suddenly had the thought of what Liara's father would be looking at right now. Liara, sitting almost naked, with Shepard's arms wrapped around her, and both of them staring wide-eyed back at the intruder.

Well, hopefully her death would come quickly.

Instead of brutally shredding her with biotics, however, Aethyta just clenched her fist and smiled as she quietly proclaimed, "HAH! I knew it!" With that, Liara's father bolted back out the door, slamming it behind him. Her. Whatever. Not the time for that.

Liara slowly leaned back onto Shepard's breast, letting her head fall back to lay on Jane's collarbone. Shepard brushed her hand across Liara's stomach, trying to calm and comfort her. Jane put her chin on the asari's crests, effectively cradling Liara's head with her neck.

"Fuck," Liara summarized, capturing both of their thoughts in that one word.

It took them several minutes to gather their wits, and clothes, and make their way out of Shepard's room. Their destination was the dining room, since it was close to dinnertime and Aethyta hadn't actually delivered her message.

This assumption proved to be correct as the three adults were sitting around the table with a meal laid out. As Shepard paused and glanced around, her mother gestured to the two open chairs sitting side by side at the table.

Jane slowly made her way to her seat, Liara following behind her. Hannah Shepard gave them a confused look and asked, "Everything alright?"

"You aren't mad?" Shepard asked cautiously.

The elder Shepard glanced between Jane and Liara and slowly inquired, "About?"

Confused at the response, Jane glanced over to Aethyta, making eye contact with the asari Matriarch. Thinking of a quick excuse, Shepard blurted out, "Being late to dinner."

Hannah gave her daughter an odd look at the lame explanation but seemed to accept it with a shrug.

Dinner after that was a quiet affair for Jane and Liara. It was only later that Shepard managed to catch Liara's father alone as she went to the kitchen. Liara was out the couch, ready to alert Jane if Benezia or Hannah attempted to interrupt.

Apparently expecting such a confrontation, Aethyta looked at Jane, crossing her arms and leaning against the counter. Shepard took a second to figure out which question ask before starting, "You didn't tell them?"

The Asari Matriarch smiled and replied, "Of course not. I suspected your relationship for a while now. It is your secret, however, and I apologize for walking in on you. Whether you reveal it to others is your choice, not mine."

"If you suspect something, what about Liara's mother, or mine?"

Aethyta rolled her eyes, "I think Hannah is gone far too often to suspect anything. As for my wife, while I love her, even I admit that she can be a bit daft when it comes to romance. She deals with your military because they are direct, much like her. Benezia hates politicians but understands the need for them to keep fighting from breaking out. Personally, I'm all for the fight, but that's probably the krogan in me."

"You don't care that Liara and I are together?" Shepard asked.

"I suppose I could give you the typical human father talk on hurting my daughter and blah blah blah. I don't think that's necessary, though. Both of you are mature and have known each other for years. You will fight and you will love, that is life."

"Thank you, Aethyta," Jane said, wrapping her arms are the asari in a quick hug.

"Of course. If you need any advice, feel free to ask. I'm sure I could give you some helpful pointers," the Matriarch suggested with a wink.

Jane blushed slightly and replied, "That's really not necessary. At all. We've figur-, uh, we can get it ourselves."

"Oh, already that far?" Aethyta teased with a laugh. She continued, "Just be careful. I won't tell you that you can't be intimate, but you're both far too young to be parents."

"We don't use the Meld," Shepard reassured.

"Good. Well, any other questions?"

Shepard threw a glance back at where Liara and the other two adults were, making sure that she was still out of hearing range before replying, "Just one. How do I, well, come out?"

"That is a hard one, as it's always a bit different. I don't think there'd be any issues, but I understand that even with that assurance you have doubts. I'm sure that you've talked with Liara about this. My advice is to do so when you're together, to support each other. That you would do so is very brave. It took Benezia and myself decades to reveal our relationship to our parents," the asari replied.

"How did that go?"

Aethyta laughed, "My father didn't care at all. He just gave us some advice for how Krogans found mates. As an Asari, my mother was a bit more subdued with the reception, but she wasn't critical, just concerned about the hardships of two asari being in a relationships, which is frowned on in our society."

"And Benezia's parents?" Jane inquired.

"Benezia's father died shortly after meeting her mother. As for her mother, she conceived Benezia when she was just a maiden, which is very young for us. Unwilling to give up her life as a mercenary, she raised Benezia on the move as she went from job to job. Shortly after Benezia left, she died in a pirate attack."

Shepard blinked at the history before responding, "Sorry, I didn't know."

"I know. It was far in the past and Benezia seems to have gotten over it. Anyways, do not worry about it, I can protect my wife and daughter just fine. When did you want to come out, as you put it?" Aethyta asked.

"Feet first into Hell, as my mother always says," Shepard declared.

Aethyta frowned at the phrase and asked, "What is that, anyways? I've heard her say it, but she's never said where she got it from, even when asked."

"No idea. I know that she used to be a soldier on the old human ship called the _Everest_. The only thing I've heard beyond that was that she was a Helljumper, so I assume it has to do with that. Whatever it means," Jane explained.

"Huh. Thanks. Sorry to distract you," Liara's father apologized.

Shepard huffed and responded, "Don't worry, it's appreciated. Really, really appreciated."

"You're okay. Liara will be right with you," Aethyta reassured her.

* * *

 **August 17, 2171/10th Day of 1st Month, 2451 (August 17, 2580)**

 **Jane Shepard**

 **Terra, Systems Alliance Homeworld**

Graduation at last, and with it freedom from Secondary School and all that entailed. Now it was on to University, for both Liara and Jane.

Following in her mother's footsteps, the younger Shepard was going into the Reserve Officer Training Corps program for education that would help her as a commissioned officer in the Alliance Navy. It would be a hard time, being held to the high standard of an Admiral's daughter, but Jane wasn't intimidated.

Liara was forging a much harder path, however, as she decided to follow Shepard. Though not a human, the need for diversity in the Alliance forces created an opening that she exploited as best she could. Even with protests against aliens in the Alliance forces, High Command had determined that integrating with the Citadel species was far more important than public perception at this time.

Jane would be studying under a Military History and Logistics major for a jumpstart in her officer's career, since those courses were geared towards strategy and tactical decisions.

With her interest in archaeology, Liara had decided to go towards the track for Alliance science officers with a degree in xenoarchaeology. This would allow her access to the Prothean ruins on Terra in the later years of her degree.

The couple had already managed to acquire a dorm room together, ensuring their privacy for the coming school year. As for Liara learning to protect herself when Jane wasn't around to help, that would hopefully come from ROTC.

Either way, the time to deal with that was after the Break. For now, Jane was determined to enjoy her time with her girlfriend, celebrating the day in their own way.

* * *

 **August 12, 2174/1st Day of 17th Month, 2453 (August 12, 2583)**

 **Jane Shepard**

 **Terra, Systems Alliance Homeworld**

It was a nice last day on the campus, walking around with Liara. Exams were over, projects complete, and everything was ready. Final grades were a concern as always, but that was more habit than an actual issue with any class.

As the two came to the center of campus, Shepard stopped to look around. The entire area was empty, with most students being all too happy to leave for the summer. Liara squeezed Shepard's hand and leaned against her, waiting for the human to continue with their stroll.

Shepard glanced over and squeezed the box in her pocket, making sure not to move the one holding Liara. She had already asked her mother, Benezia, and Aethyta and received a positive answer, so now it was all up to her. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, Shepard turned to face Liara and let go of the box to grab the Asari's free hand with her own.

Liara looked confused, but before she could do anything Shepard began, "Liara, I've known you for almost fifteen years. I remember when we met on the first day of school, when I saw you alone and lost, the same as I was back then. You've stuck with me, always been there for me, and shown me the way to happiness. From strangers to friends, from friends to partners, from partners to lovers, we've always been there. Now, I want to make that last step."

Releasing Liara's hands, Shepard slowly dropped to one knee and reached into her pocket to withdraw the small box. Opening it up and presenting it to the stunned Asari, Jane asked, "Liara T'soni, will you marry me?"

* * *

 **August 12, 2175/10th Day of 15th Month, 2454 (August 12, 2584)**

 **Jane Shepard**

 **Terra, Systems Alliance Homeworld**

Finally, after years of formal education, they were finished. Graduation was done, they were out and soon to receive their assignments. As a married couple, they were far more likely to receive a co-location deployment. While not guaranteed, it still gave them hope for staying together.

Shepard expected to serve as a naval combat officer, leading teams in battle in ship-boarding or defense operations. While she had the choice of becoming a commissioned officer, Shepard had decided on the more active posting as it suited her personality.

Of course, Liara had been less than pleased that Shepard would be in the line of danger, which had prompted the Asari to request leadership of Science teams on excursions. After arguing over this issue for several weeks, they came to a mutual understanding of concerns and relented on both fronts.

With the Alliance establishing mines for Eezo in the Citadel's galaxy, the likelihood of being stationed at such a site was rising. Several pirate attacks had been reported, along with other issues from more organized groups that seemed to have more in mind that simply stealing items or people.

Against such an issue before the Insurrection or Covenant Invasion, the SA might have had an issue with tactics or force dispersal. Unluckily for the attackers, this was not the case as the skies over Alliance worlds became littered with debris from destroyed vessels while the soil became soaked in the blood of the perpetrators.

The Council had repeatedly complained about the treatment of prisoners by the Systems Alliance, to no avail. As with the Covenant, the Alliance took no prisoners, executing thousands of pirates, slavers, and other attackers without hesitation. While some in the galaxy called it a crime, the SA called it a message to all who would oppose them.

Humanity was bigger, with more ships guarding each Eezo colony than criminals could handle.

Humanity was better, with more advanced tactics and highly trained soldiers.

Most of all, though, Humanity was not going to be pushed around, and any who tried would meet their end at gunpoint.

* * *

 **February 4, 2176/9th Day of 4th Month, 2455 (February 4, 2585)**

 **Jane Shepard**

 **Elysium, Systems Alliance Processing Colony**

Elysium had been acquired by the Alliance to facilitate the processing and shipping of Element Zero back to the Milky Way galaxy. With its central location to several Mass Relays, the Systems Alliance had deemed the world as necessary due to their mining projects in the area. While an amazing and beautiful world, the Citadel Council had left it uncolonized due to its proximity to the Terminus Systems.

The wisdom of this was now obvious to Shepard as she crouched behind a Mako APC, listening to the small plinks as enemy fire peppered the unprotected vehicle. Batarians had brought down the Kinetic Barriers on the Mako after sustained fire, but had yet to break through the plating on the sides. What Shepard wouldn't give for an actual tank right now, rather than the meek Mass Effect-powered APC.

Unlike the Battle Tanks, Armored Personnel Carriers, Artillery, and Light Reconnaissance Vehicles that made up much of Terra's arsenal, the units deployed in the Citadel galaxy had been given the Mako as their only large vehicle. Armored enough to survive small-arms fire and quick enough to outrun most heavy weapons, the Mako was completely powered by Eezo.

While this allowed for Kinetic Barriers to be installed, the main reason for its deployment in this galaxy was so that the Alliance could keep their larger vehicles secret from Citadel species. As far as the Systems Alliance had seen, the Citadel members had no equivalent to armored vehicles, although the Krogan did field a large APC called a Tomkah.

This same strategy had been adopted in many other aspects of warfare. As Shepard had learned from the veterans, the War which had led to the creation of the SA was far larger than any pirate attack could ever be. Helljumpers, while feared by the Innies, had once more been trained in the Alliance due to their high tactical value. None had been deployed to Citadel space, since no major offensives had been mounted which would require them.

Thinking on it, Shepard grudgingly admitted that there were many things that she would not give for a tank. While it would be convenient, there wasn't any real risk of being overrun by a Main Battle Tank. Sure, thousands of Batarians hand landed and attack Elysium, but tens of thousands more had died in orbit with their ships and supplies, cutting off support and escape for those remaining on the ground.

Shepard and the rest of the garrison had been fighting for seven hours now, pushing back against the attackers. With only one fairly quiet deployment, this blew away all other combat operations Shepard had participated in. Whereas her former posting had been attacked by a ship of maybe a hundred or so, the force participating in this assault was probably the largest seen in Alliance history.

Not that it was doing them any good. The Systems Alliance had faced forces that these attackers could only dream off, and it showed. Every counter attack against the Alliance led to an unrelenting front as the soldiers of the SA refused to give ground. Most of the humans were new, but some had fought in the war against the Enemy and were still used to the slaughter that would follow a successful advance by the Alien foes.

At the end of the day, over 30,000 attackers would lie dead, mostly Batarians, although a hefty number of other criminals from various species were mixed in. Shepard had killed a few dozen herself, an excellent performance for her first major battle. As time went on, this event would become known as the Skyllian Blitz and shape Batarian-Human relations for years to come.

* * *

 **November 23, 2177/17th Day of 17th Month, 2456 (November 23, 2586)**

 **Jane Shepard**

 **Akuze, Systems Alliance Eezo Colony**

Almost two years since the events on Elysium. That was hard to believe. As Shepard lay in bed with her arms wrapped around Liara, she remembered the Blitz.

The blood and bodies littering the area, mostly alien but with a few humans mixed in. Nervous tension as she waited for word from Liara, and relief when the asari's voice greeted her. Finally, memories of the final push against the attackers, watching as they were all slaughtered.

She had already dealt with what little guilt she felt about the deaths of those who were trying to survive after their crimes. They had attacked Humanity, just like the Enemy, and they would die just like Earth had died: screaming for mercy.

Liara had no issue with the treatment of the surrendering forces, nor with the treatment of the few high-value targets that SpecOps had managed to capture. They had attacked the colony and put Jane in danger, and so they died.

From what Shepard had heard, the HVTs from the Blitz had easily spilled their secrets when given over to Alliance interrogators. Admiral Hannah Shepard had let slip that the Alliance was quietly assembling an armada to attack Torfan, the moon that the attackers had come from. Since it was in the Terminus Systems and not Citadel space, the Alliance considered all bets off when it came time to attack.

As far as the Citadel Council knew, the ships coming through their relays were merely reinforcements for human Eezo colonies. Coming in groups of three or four, each ship was making its way to the Vetus System, where Elysium was located. Hidden from prying eyes and sensors by the constant traffic, it was estimated that the attack would be happening within the next few months.

Shepard was pulled from her thoughts by the pounding of boots outside the door. With a hiss, it opened and allowed one of their bunkmates into the small area. Initially unconcerned, Jane raised an eyebrow at the singed edges of his uniform.

"Ran into a fucking Thresher on a Mako run of the perimeter. Told it to fuck off," the soldier explained quietly, glancing at Liara's sleeping form.

"And?" Shepard pressed, nodding at the damaged plating.

Shrugging slightly, the guy smirked and replied, "It did not comply. So we shot it. Won't be a problem any longer."

"Nice."

"Meh, doesn't take an idiot to defeat them. Just keep moving and let the turret do the heavy damage. Wouldn't want to be anywhere near one of the fuckers on foot, though," he responded.

Shepard and grunted in agreement before laying her head down. Some rest before her shift started in a few hours would be nice.

* * *

 **April 17, 2178/6th Day of 5th Month, 2457 (April 17, 2587)**

 **Jane Shepard**

 **Torfan, Criminal Stronghold**

The assault had finally come, after months of planning and force buildup. Alliance vessels had fallen into formation and jumped to FTL yesterday, allowing them to reach Torfan in the early morning hours of the moon below.

Orbital defenses had been a joke, with the weak vessels quickly falling to the fire of Alliance wolf-packs. Landing on the ground had also been simple, especially considering the stories Shepard had heard from veterans of the fight against the Enemy.

It was when the SA units had descended into the warren of caves beneath the surface that things became tough. With the entire moon infested by criminals, the Alliance had to fight a four-front war against a dug-in enemy that knew the area. Initial casualties had been high, though fatalities were still relatively low due to the Kinetic Barriers each soldier was equipped with.

From Shepard's own training as well as from talking with veterans, she knew that the Barriers were merely a nice new toy. Each soldier, old and new, had been trained with the idea that there wasn't going to be some magical protection surrounding them. This mentality had been drilled into them, and it had saved many from foolish risks.

Unlike their enemies, who relied on their barriers to absorb fire and save them, the Alliance combatants relied on not getting hit at all. While this cautious approach kept more soldiers alive, it also slowed the advance into enemy territory as soldiers weren't sprinting in front of enemy fire without being covered by allies. This satisfied Shepard just fine, for it meant that her position as a Captain in the Marines didn't necessitate her sending her troops to their deaths. Command acknowledged that progress would be slow, and as such there was no need for pointless heroics to achieve their objective faster.

By now, though, the fighting was dying down as the enemy realized their defeat. The specific area that Shepard and her soldiers had taken was apparently home to Elanos Haliat, the architect of the Skyllian Blitz and therefore a perfect example for those who would attack the Systems Alliance. As the defenders laid down their arms and surrendered, Shepard directed her unit to line them up against the wall under the guise of keeping them under guard.

Of course, any Alliance soldier recognized the position for what it was, and each readied their weapon. The execution of the perpetrators of a major attack against the Alliance was a job that each human present was willing to do, for their survival and to prove their mettle.

Haliat himself was on the ground before Shepard, with two soldiers guarding the Turian criminal. Shepard ignored his attempts at negotiation, though she idly noted that he seemed more aware of his imminent death than his comrades, even if he had not realized it yet.

Since the entire operation would be worthless if the Alliance didn't get some Public Relations material out of its completion, a camera would be used to film Shepard's execution of Haliat. Edits would be made before its release to the public, both to censor any intelligence that Haliat might spout off at the last minute to try and survive and to increase the shock value for the Citadel species.

Getting a ready signal from the military videographer that had accompanied them, Shepard pulled out a Karpov Mk. VII and pointed it at the back of Elanos Haliat's head. Usually Jane wouldn't engage in such theatrics, but the film guy had said it would make for a good show. Who was she to argue with that.

"Elanos Haliat, you are under arrest for the organization and execution of the Skyllian Blitz against the Systems Alliance world of Elysium," Shepard began. Haliat growled out several words that did not sound like compliments, but the mic clipped to Shepard's uniform barely picked them up. She continued, "Your list of crimes is long. I would go over them, but it's not worth my time. By the Rules of Engagement and with the authority of the Systems Alliance Parliament, Courts, and Military, I confer the sentence of death."

At this, the Turian attempted to rise and escape, only to be slammed back down by the two humans beside him. Apparently there was still some hope left in him, as he began to try and give information to save his life. Shepard listened but stayed still, keeping the shot so that the intel could be edited out in post-production.

When the scum started to run out of useful tips, Shepard cut him off, "Thank you for that, idiot." She paused a second so that the classified information could be cleanly extracted before continuing, "Any last words?"

Before the Turian could speak, Jane pulled the trigger, sending a small piece of metal through the back of the Turian's head. He never heard the gunshot, which was too big of a mercy in Shepard's book.

Either way, the death of the leader signaled the death of all the rest as Shepard gave the order to fire on the helpless criminals. A flurry of shots rang out as the camera turned to get a view of the dead, with the blood-splattered rock behind them providing a nice emphasis on their fate.

So it was that Shepard earned her entrance into N7, as well as the title 'Butcher of Torfan' when the footage was released by the Systems Alliance.

* * *

 **October 8, 2179/13th Day of 12th Month, 2458/October 8, 2588**

 **Jane Shepard**

 **Arcturus Station, Systems Alliance Military Headquarters**

Built as a center for Alliance High Command, Arcturus Station housed some of the most powerful people in the Systems Alliance. From Fleet Admirals to Operational Directors, each entity on the station was there for a reason.

Even Shepard might be stationed here at some point soon, considering the promotion following Torfan. A transfer from the Marines to the Navy, a commission from the Systems Alliance Prime Minister, and a promotion to Commander allowed the Alliance to give Shepard command of ship compliments instead of ground-based garrisons, giving the Alliance a competent and mobile officer if the need arose. Eventually she might be commanding fleets rather than squads, which was a strange thought.

The maintenance and operation of the structure was managed by an Alliance AI due to the importance and high activity on the station. Unlike their UNSC counterparts, the Systems Alliance could not produce enough AIs to meet demand, largely due to the Council limitations.

Dumb AI's were possible, but even the advanced technology needed to create them was very simple when compared to the Smart AIs created by Earth and Reach facilities. As such, Intelligences were relegated to the most important tasks such as city management, fleet logistics, or cybersecurity.

Shepard pushed the idle thought to the side as she and Liara followed the path given to them by the station AI. People easily moved aside for the Butcher of Torfan, most saluting and nodding to her respectfully. Liara followed behind Shepard, getting a few glances as people recognized her.

While Jane's actions had been a source of great controversy in Citadel space, the worlds of the Alliance hailed her as a hero for showing the mettle of Humanity. As Jane's life became less private with the increased attention, her and Liara's marriage had become public knowledge.

Some had criticized the decision, using xenophobic views to justify keeping human worlds untouched by alien beings. Most, however, had been unable to discard their heroification of Shepard and pointed out that the marriage signified the prevalence of Human culture. It sent a message that attacking the Alliance would lead to death, but joining Humanity would mean protection.

Either way, that was how it was, and Shepard would deal with the issues as they came. For now, all she knew was that she and Liara had been unexpectedly recalled from their posting. The two had been co-located on a human colony near Terra, a nice and quiet posting in the Milky Way as the Terminus Systems calmed down. With her growing reputation, Jane had become a prime target for many pirates, slavers, and other unsavory characters.

The Alliance largely blamed the Batarian Hegemony for putting a bounty on Shepard following the raid on Torfan, but no true allegations had been made since the Alliance had larger concerns than some idiots with a grudge. With Shepard safe in the Milky Way and the might of the Alliance on display, any war would merely be a nuisance rather than a possible situation to exploit for the SA.

As the two reached their destination, Shepard focused on the security measures that stood before her. Considering the distance they had walked, they had to be close to the center of Arcturus, where most important meetings and servers were held. With the AI monitoring all activity, there were no biometric scans or other tests for her entrance.

Jane's behavior had been analyzed and verified, her voice picked up and dissected, her DNA collected, fingerprints recorded, and irises scanned. As with all personnel, they were there for a reason, and now was the time to find out why.

The solid door before them slid open, revealing the room beyond. Sitting around a U-shaped desk was the Systems Alliance Admiralty, the individuals that commanded and directed the operations of the entire Alliance Navy. Jane automatically stood to attention as she reached the center of the area, easily listening to Liara do the same in the quiet space.

Shepard felt a coil of nerves form in her gut as she looked around. Figures she had missed earlier became apparent as she picked out the Speaker of the House of the Systems Alliance Parliament, the House Minority Leader, the Systems Alliance Prime Minister, several Marine and Army generals, an extremely nervous Matriarch Benezia, and the Director of Enemy Countermeasures.

Considering that this single room contained enough political and military power to take entire star systems, Shepard knew this was serious beyond anything else. The Director only ever left his isolated planet for the most important affairs, such as when the technologies that were banned by the Citadel were moved to his location.

Hannah Shepard gave a subtle nod to her daughter, reassuring her that this wasn't some strange tribunal or something like that. While Jane appreciated the gesture, it didn't do much to help with the nerves. Especially with the expression on Benezia's face. Shepard had never seen the Asari so... _frightened_.

It wasn't nervousness, it was fear. Whatever was going to be said was going to be big, and she would bet her wedding ring that it was so high up the clearance ladder that perhaps even the Council did not know of it.

Admiral Hackett of the Systems Alliance Fifth Fleet began, "Commander Shepard. Ensign T'soni Shepard. Welcome to Arcturus, if not this gathering. At ease." Both soldiers dropped into parade rest as the Admiral continued, "I don't wish to be rude, but this will need to be quick. Preparations need to be made, as you will understand at the end of this briefing."

"The Enemy has been found." Many in the room shifted at the statement, though they all already knew it to be true.

"We knew that the Citadel would not heed our advice. They would find the Covenant, would go searching into the Orion Arm. What we did not anticipate is that they would find them so fast, nor that they would not tell us when they did so," Hackett explained.

He sighed before slowly resuming, "The Citadel races have found the Covenant. They were not met with death, but with words. The Systems Alliance only learned this information through Ambassador Udina, and he learned of it when the Council told him that a Human presence was requested."

"There will be a meeting on the Citadel. It will include the Enemy, who are now calling themselves the 'Wardens of the Mantle' for some reason, and representatives from all Council Members and species with embassies on the Citadel. Commander, this group requested your presence to ask you to attend this meeting with Ensign T'soni."

"Make no mistake, there is little chance of surviving or escaping the Citadel when they learn of our existence there. This is likely a suicide mission. Alliance High Command fully recognizes this, but we must have a competent leader at the negotiations," Hackett said seriously, presenting the facts bluntly instead of skirting around it with worthless platitudes.

Shepard stiffened and replied, "I will do my duty to Humanity, sir. Whatever the cost."

"As we all know, Shepard. We are assigning you to this mission due to your public image and because of your relation to Ensign T'soni. You will be recognized from your reputation, and your relation to your wife will prove to the Covenant the close ties between the Citadel and Humanity. The Systems Alliance cannot afford to fight the Covenant alone, the Council must become involved."

"Understood, sir," Shepard responded.

Benezia stepped forward slightly, drawing attention from Jane as she stated, "I will be informing the Council of the threat this 'Covenant' presents. From what you have presented, I cannot guarantee the backing of the Council."

"Which is why we are sending the human married to an asari. The galaxy might forgive the death of the Alliance, but when the Enemy sees that you have allowed us to live, they will attack you as well," one of the admirals explained.

"All you have told me is that this Covenant attacked you and drove you from your homes. You have shown no information or other intelligence that would help us in a fight. You think that the Council will allow this?" Benezia asked.

"You signed your death warrants for the Covenant when you failed to eradicate us. With this plan, you might at least gain public support for a fight against the Enemy," the admiral stated bluntly.

"We will discuss this later. I understand your issues, Ambassador, but there is little to do about it now. The Covenant will slaughter you, whether you are guilty or not, just as they did to Humanity," Hackett said, interrupting the small discussion.

Hackett turned his attention back to the two soldiers and nodded, "Thank you for your service, Commander Shepard, Ensign T'soni Shepard. All information we have on the Enemy will be provided, for your eyes only. You will leave tomorrow for the Citadel. I do not think this needs to be stated, but no word of this is to leave this room and all documents given to you are classified far beyond your normal clearance. Godspeed, Shepard."

Shepard and Liara saluted before turning to make their way out. With their few items already packed from their journey to Arcturus, there wouldn't be much to do but get some rest and prepare for a meeting with Death.

* * *

 **March 1, 2180/2nd Day of 20th Month, 2458/March 1, 2589**

 **Jane Shepard**

 **Citadel**

Shepard watched the vast expanse of space outside the Citadel diplomatic hangar, waiting for the telltale flash that would signify the arrival of the Enemy. Liara stood beside her in parade rest, her presence helping Jane to stay calm in the face of their probable death. Both of them were protected from the vacuum by a sheet of glass that went along the back of the hangar, allowing the alien ships in without compromising the Citadel's atmosphere.

In front of them stood the Citadel Council and the large host of diplomats from other species that were attending this event. The Council had decided to keep the Alliance party back due to their tensions with the Covenant. Directly behind Shepard and Liara was Ambassador Udina, along with several other N7 operatives who were prepared to evacuate Udina at the first signs of trouble.

Every being's attention was drawn to a specific point in space as a swirling hole appeared, with only the humans knowing that it led into the eleven dimensions of Slipspace. As Jane watched, the silvery form of a vessel appeared, its shields shimmering at the edge of the vortex as they fought against the currents of slipspace. From the information they had been given, Shepard knew that it was a CAS-class Assault Carrier, a ship capable of laying siege to entire cities without outside support.

While the Council species marveled at the vessel, not knowing that it was larger and more destructive than anything they could ever hope to field, Jane directed the Alliance operatives to subtly ready their weapons. With the ship close enough to identify by visual contact, it had to be well within twenty kilometers of the Citadel. There was no longer any doubt of false reports, as shown by the craft drifting across the stars.

The implications of this truly hit Shepard at that moment.

She was going to die, probably alongside her wife, in a hail of plasma as the Enemy saw them. There was no escape, no means of survival given with their orders. The same foes that had slaughtered billions of humans in the Outer colonies, and almost certainly eradicated the Inner worlds, had arrived.

Billions more might die, mostly human. If the Citadel became involved, that number would probably rise to trillions. How could the Enemy be fought when the largest vessel the Council had was a mere ship-of-the-line to the Covenant?

Shepard put these doubts to rest as several small points of light took off from the carrier's main hangar. There was no point in meeting death like a coward. She was Human, and she would stand firm against the Enemy. Let her death inspire others to resist, to fight, and to triumph.

As the small transports drew closer, Jane could pick out irregularities from the reports given to her by the Alliance. The nearest craft approaching them was orange, with a reddish tint that made it look like the armor was rusted. When the dropship eased into the hangar, Shepard could tell that its structure was subtly different from the pictures of Phantoms that she had been given. The logical assumption would be that it was a newer model, meaning that the Enemy had advanced from the previous war.

The ship came to a stop, floating above the floor of the hangar. As the bottom opened and a grav-lift appeared, Jane reached her hand down and found Liara's own. The Asari squeezed Shepard's hand, but refused to let go when Jane went to pull back.

A second passed before something appeared in the beam of the lift. The massive form of a Hunter was revealed, though nothing could be seen beyond the shield that it held in front of its face. Its bond brother quickly followed, with both hunkering down to protect against any attack.

When no threats presented themselves, a third form dropped behind its brethren. While the two original Hunters were large, this one easily towered above them as well. From the decorations in its armor, Jane determined that it was some kind of leader, though Alliance reports had nothing on a leader for the worms.

Almost immediately the large being turned to directly face the Citadel party, though Shepard was sure that it was staring at the humans specifically as it easily sensed them through the glass, somehow.

Much to her surprise, however, the Enemy did not attack. Instead, it turned its head to watch as the ship above it left.

The rest of the ships must have been awaiting the all-clear from the heavy hitters, as several more Covenant phantoms, along with an unknown ship, drifted outside the hangar when the first cleared the area. Shepard noted their differences as they went by, but kept most of her attention focused on the Hunters.

Instead of the rust-hued craft that the Hunters deployed from, the three Phantoms outside matched the descriptions of standard Covenant craft. Purple armor and a beetle-like hull reminded Jane of the videos she had seen of Enemy troops leaping onto defenseless humans from those ships. As for the unknown ship, it was probably a new species or something. Not her concern.

One of these ships broke formation and drifted above the Hunters as the hole in its center opened. Instead of a grav-lift, however, a single Covenant Engineer drifted down, taking up position behind the shields of the Hunters. The ship quickly withdrew, letting out no other beings.

Again a dropship made its way in, this time utilizing a beam of anti-gravity to allow three Grunts down. The first two were Specialists, as far as Grunts went. Against a regular marine, Grunts were not threat. Their leader joined them, at least Jane assumed it was the leader from the decorations on his armor, much like the Hunter.

With a quiet hum, the last Phantom came to hover above the growing party of the Enemy. Once again the lift appeared, this time heralding a group of four Brutes. Unlike the videos of Brutes that Jane had seen, these looked significantly more organized and clean, with heavy armor and large hammers set on their backs.

As an elderly Brute dropped onto the deck, the others looked around, unable to smell due to the lack of an atmosphere. Several mutterings passed through the Council species as the Brutes showed no signs of being affected by the lack of air.

Almost as one, they turned to Jane and the humans behind her. Shepard tensed, expecting the Brutes to shatter the thin barrier of glass and attack, as their dossier indicated. The Brute elder made eye contact with Jane, causing her to raise her head defiantly, the soldier in her too stubborn to look away. Instead of ordering an attack, pulling his weapon, or doing anything else that made sense, the Brute just bared his teeth at Shepard and turned away.

What the hell?

The expression on the Brute's face had looked almost like a smile, albeit it was hard to tell. Jane's attention was drawn to the other Brutes as they looked away when their leader barked an order in their language, causing them to fall in with the Hunter pair.

Of course, the obvious question now was the location of the dreaded Elites. Hunters would suck to deal with, but they were unshielded and could be killed from a distance. Elites, on the other hand, could be right next to a soldier and kill them before they could react.

Before she could consider this further, the unknown vessel made its way into the hangar. Unlike the Enemy, this species seemed to be using standard fuel propulsion as the engines caused noticeable vibrations to run through the deck to the Citadel party. The dull white paint that covered the craft was scratched and worn, though it seemed to serve little purpose on the simple rectangular box that made up the vessel.

Instead of the Covenant gravity lift, the craft settled onto the deck and lowered a ramp. Several beings made their way out, though Shepard couldn't recognize them. Several new species then, considering the differences, but no known species of the Enemy. After they had left, the box lifted off once again and left the hangar.

A shift in the vacuum above drew Jane's gaze as a dark green Phantom was revealed. As if the damn things wouldn't be bad enough, now they apparently had cloaked dropships to wreak havoc unseen. Though with the current non-aggression from the Enemy, Shepard was beginning to doubt an immediate attack.

Whether it would happen or not was beyond her, however, as three Elites dropped from the green Phantom. They were clad in red armor with interesting golden plumes, almost like some form of Honor Guard. Each one was armed with a pike, though Jane could see Energy Swords on their thighs as well.

The professional nature of the Elites went on full display as the three beings slammed the butts of their staffs into the deck, completely ignoring the human group. At the sound, a fourth figure drifted down from above. Clad in golden armor, it was immediately obvious that this was a major leader. Considering that Elites tended to show prowess by the intricacy of their armor, Shepard knew that this one would be extremely dangerous if things went sideways.

Jane expected some sign of acknowledgement from the Enemy, or at least a glance. Instead, the leader of the Elites simply ignored the Citadel party entirely and made his way to his Allies. While Shepard should have been happy, or at least cautious, that the most dangerous foe of the Covenant had taken no interest in them, she felt more angry that the Elite could so blithely ignore the remnants of a species he had committed xenocide against.

As the Citadel party examined the members of the Covenant, Shepard titled her head back to look at the ceiling of the hangar. If the Enemy didn't attack now, it would likely happen when they directly met the Council and other diplomats. This proximity would make it almost impossible for Udina or the other N7 operatives to escape, which was unfortunate.

Drawing herself once again out of those morbid thoughts, Shepard realized that she had been staring at the same spot at the top of the hangar for a couple seconds. Except there was nothing there to look at, only the unbroken plates that made up the space. After a second of staring, Jane tilted her head a bit.

Suddenly, reality seemed to melt as blue hexagonal pieces of light exploded out from the point Shepard was looking at. Within seconds, the predatory form of a dark vessel was revealed. There were no markings on the vessel, though it was hard to tell as it was almost impossible to focus on its surface as her eyes tried to drift elsewhere.

While this was surprising enough, Shepard only had eyes for the green-armored figure standing on the open ramp leading to the interior of the vessel.

Staring straight back at her was an impenetrable golden visor, revealing nothing. Yet Shepard knew, by instinct or by an act of her subconscious, exactly what was standing on that ramp.

Earth had not gone gently into that good night.

* * *

 **This is the last chapter of singular setup, next chapter will be between and about factions. Still setup, but much more interesting set up in my mind. Will need to reset back a bit, though. The end of this chapter should lead into the chapter after the next.**

 **I don't think Benezia is some hard-ass, considering her words to Liara in the first ME game. Also, anyone ever notice that Asari don't have ears?**

 **Several of the sports I mentioned were popular in Citadel space in Mass Effect Canon. So...that was the inspiration for that.**

 **Apologies if the Shepard section seemed somewhat like a timeline. That's probably because it is. I wanted to establish a bit of a different background for Jane, so... yeah. As for Shepard and Liara coming out, sorry for being a bit of a troll there. Nearly touched on it a couple times before finally setting it out.**

 **Elanos Haliat was supposed to be represented by a Turian model, but was accidentally given a human model in-game. As such, I have used his intended species.**

 **SA Artificial Intelligences would be worse than UNSC. They may know HOW, but they don't have the industrial or cultural freedom to use AIs to the extent that the UNSC does.**

 **As for Canon SA and Cerberus with the creation of EDI, their AI's in this fic will be better. Anyone who thinks that EDI (apparently one of if not the first AI created by Humanity) could beat a UNSC AI (which are created by a Humanity that has four** _ **CENTURIES**_ **of experience in AI tech) is deluding themselves.**

 **Look at how much hardware and software has progressed in the last 60 years in our world. Now take those 60 years and analyze the progression, and you get an** _ **Exponential**_ **increase. NOT Linear. We have no signs that that exponential trend will stop, mostly because ideas like Moore's Law are self-fulfilling. People believe it, ergo it must be met, and since necessity is the mother of progress...**

 **Don't know how readers feel about this chapter (no duh), but I quite liked writing it. Really like that last line, got shivers when I wrote it. Just seemed to fit. Love the poem it's from as well. Poem is** _ **Do not go Gentle into that Good Night**_ **by Dylan Thomas.**

 **Rage, Rage against the dying of the light.**

 _-evevee_


	8. Info for the Get-Go

Disclaimer: I own no franchise mentioned in this work. Halo belongs to 343, Mass Effect to Bioware.

 **I know I said that this chapter would be the last before UNSC met the Citadel, but that ended up to be false. I will try to get the second part of this out soon, but just started another semester, so may end up muddled. As for future updates, they will come when they come. I will try to do once a month, but if a class gets really intensive that may be put off.**

 **If I have not updated in a month, story status can be found on my profile. That will always be updated at least once a month.**

 **This chapter starts way before the end of the last. The SA parliament meeting was November 2566, Garrus met the Unggoy in December 2566, the Warden Summit was in February 2567, this chapter begins in September 2567 and ends in 2568, while Shepard met Liara in January 2569.**

 **Next chapter will finish up the Warden side of things for this time period, from 2568 to 2689, with the Reach Memorial from the end of Halo: REACH on July 7, 2589. Just wanted to get that straight, since the dates were a bit mixed from going through Shepard's entire chapter.**

 **I know the reception to last chapter was a bit mixed. For those of you who enjoyed it, cool. For those who didn't, know that this isn't a romance story and it won't be a huge focus of the fic. I enjoyed writing it to set up Shepard's character, but with that done I won't need to devote an entire chapter to it again. I will use what I established in that chapter, hence why I wrote it.**

 **For now, we're back to business as usual! Rather than focusing solely on a single character, this chapter is focusing on the events of the Warden species and what they have going.**

 **Now for Review Responses! If you don't care, skip to the breakpoint below. For responses, later reviews will be listed first, because I'm lazy and can't be bothered to reverse-order them.**

 **MyNameJeff: No, I will not be adding any OC species to this fic. EVERY species I use is canon. Now, some ships might not be, but those will be a nod to other fandoms rather than 'Shupur Speshial' vessels that blah blah blah. Yeah, I try not to do that whole fan-creation thing.**

 **Aj, AleksandrInozuka, uriil, Naruko the 7th Hokage, Fandango12345, spaulding714, Indominus, Follower D21, SITHIS ARCANIS, declonus, An Sionnach Rua, Zx, Andrew, Guest #3, SpecterXCove, Krysvun, brucec22180, falloutg123, Darkcush, Star Iron, Nektos, Uknowndeath 2565, zolydck, UchihaMadara270, HyperionATLAS: Thanks, and here you are!**

 **Guest #1, Anon, anon #2, Commissar Critical: Noted, but I liked writing it and some later stuff would be confusing without last chapter, so deal with it. It will be the last chapter so individually focused, at least as far as I have planned.**

 **Ninjashot: Thank you for the extensive review, and glad to hear you're liking it! Yeah, last chapter was a bit different, but I knew that so not too worried. I just don't like the Mass Effect Origins for Shepard, none of them strike me as particularly interesting on their own. No sweating Innies here, but it will come!**

 **Fer82: Thank you for the review, and good to hear that you're enjoying the story. Focus is shifting to the Wardens for the foreseeable future, last chapter was set up. Don't worry about instant hostilities, though I can't guarantee against belligerency and ignorant statements. I DO think that the Citadel Council members are idiots, so...yeah.**

 **Teloch: Reapers against a Covenant CSO supercarrier? Yeah, Reapers aren't gonna win that one. As for the Mantle belonging to the Reclaimers, interesting theories, but I already have some ideas for that myself. :)**

 **Guest #2: Chief rarely removes his helmet and would** _ **never**_ **do so in a potentially hostile environment like the Citadel. Authors that have 117 remove his helmet or reveal his name at the first request irritate me and don't know Halo lore in my opinion.**

 **airmailmrcool: Yeah, Asari growth rates are kind of undefined from what I saw, but I didn't look very hard. After all, human growth rates haven't changed from when the average life-span was 40 to the modern day when it's 90. That statement will make sense a lot later.**

 **CapitalClassShip: We're almost to that, won't spoil the answers to those questions here in the reviews.**

 **worldwanderer2.0: I never stated that I wouldn't use Colony or any other Banished leader, I just said I was unsure due to the lack of canon material. If 343i decides to actually keep the characters around instead of discarding them like they did with Fireteam Majestic, then I will use them. Thank you for the review!**

 **Foureyed Giraffe: Thank you for the review! Good to hear that I managed to approach the balance I was looking for between canon and logically incorporation of Halo lore. Indeed, next couple chapters will cover what changed for the UEG. There is actually a piece of Halo lore about the abundance of species in the Orion Arm alone, I'll get to that eventually. I won't be using OC species though, sorry.**

 **Kabuto S. Inferno: Much appreciated for the praise and review, and glad that you liked it! Yes, some interesting times are ahead for the Warden and Citadel meeting. Asari aging will be explained, I promise! It has an explanation that...well, you'll see. :)**

 **Ominous Olethros: Space is big, places that the Citadel could not go could encompass most of the Orion arm, along with other random places that don't actually matter. Counter-Intelligence and misdirection, just because I have Poondat saying that the Citadel shouldn't go to coordinate XYZ doesn't mean that those coordinates are** _ **correct**_ **or that there is anything actually there. Any dialogue in this story between possibly opposed factions** _ **SHOULD NOT**_ **be taken as instant fact, lies** _ **WILL**_ **be and have been told. As for vehicles, the Warthog and Mongoose aren't powered by Mass Effect. Benezia would not know this, as she isn't tearing apart SA vehicles like a battlefield would do. Also, obviously an unarmed Warthog is inferior to a Mako. The Mako is an** _ **APC**_ **, the ME canon version of an** _ **MBT**_ **. A gauss or rocket 'hog, or a Scorpion, would run circles around or go right through a Mako, respectively.**

 **Ramos: I never described the Chief's armor. I don't know why people are assuming it's the same armor, I just said it was green and large. That is literally the only description of 117 that I used. That tells readers nothing beyond that the figure is the Master Chief. I think that there are far too many Relays to guard at all times. They are patrolled, not guarded. As for the SA sharing tech, they are learning from Citadel tech, not giving the Citadel slipspace or any other tech. That's why I have the Mako alone for the SA in the Citadel's galaxy, versus Main Battle Tanks. Council is vastly incompetent, no argument from me.**

 **312: Thank you very much for the long review, and interesting ideas. Bit more set up before the explosion, unluckily, as the Warden's haven't been idle during last chapter either.**

 **linx007: Governments typically don't rush into things, and the Wardens aren't being obvious. Will expand on the Halo factions a bit more before the meeting, hopefully explains some things. Thank you for the review and hope you enjoy!**

 **Zeus501: That will be answered, I assure you.**

* * *

 **First Age of Realization, Seventh Solar Cycle/13th Day of 15th Month, 2438/September 26, 2567**

 _ **Enduring Conviction**_

 **Mupmup**

Atriox had always been fairly subtle in conducting the affairs of the Banished. Small raids against Covenant fuel depots, an attack on a Remnant world, stealing a ship here and there. Enough to be an annoyance but not enough to merit the attention of a fleetmaster or someone else of high standing.

That subtlety was decidedly lacking as the _Enduring Conviction_ blasted back into reality above Mupmup. As its slipspace portal closed behind it and the vessel approached the fleet in orbit, it quickly became apparent that the modified CAS-class carrier dwarfed everything else. The Banished ships already in orbit parted easily for their flagship, falling into formation as 'Volir directed the _Conviction_ into place.

While the Unggoy and Banished vessels had easily dealt with the appearance of the carrier, the 7/29th CEF were at a loss as to how to react. They had been warned that a large vessel would be entering the area to facilitate the introduction of a new species, but the disconnect between ideals of 'large' for the Unggoy and Turians had not been taken into account.

As Atriox watched, the Turian fleet began backing off, allowing a greater distance between themselves and the Banished flagship. The Jiralhanae grinned, amused at the reaction his arrival had received.

His attention was drawn away as the communications officer reported, "Incoming communication."

Let 'Volir replied, "Let them talk. Keep focus on the Warlord, they do not need to know of the existence of Sangheili. From what the Unggoy have told us, we should be heading for their space to meet on the Citadel. Do we have a confirmation from the Reclaimer vessel in system?"

"We received a point to point data link as we slipped in. The Reclaimer stealth craft is off our port bow, 200 kilometers out. Exact position unknown," the comms operator replied.

A quick glance at the screen that displayed the space outside the carrier showed no sign of the humans. From Atriox's experience, if the human craft was ever visible, it probably meant that everything else was already dead.

The view was quickly obscured as the communication from the Turian vessel came through. From the reports given to him by the Unggoy, the Turians were similar to Sangheili in the militaristic order of their society.

"This is Garrus Vakarian of the 7th Citadel Exploration Fleet, in command of the THV _Covenant_ and joint-command of the 7th and 29th CEF. The Unggoy told us that you were coming," the Turian leader said, introducing himself quickly.

Atriox grunted and replied, "Atriox, Jiralhanae Warlord of the Banished. We make for your Citadel?" Considering the shock that the alien must have been feeling, the Jiralhanae Warlord gave this Garrus credit for his composure.

"Indeed. Travel time will be about three month and fourteen days, by our time measurement. I believe that it's about a fifth of your Solar Cycle. We were planning on travelling by Mass Relay, however, we were not expecting a vessel of this size," Garrus stated, staying formal for the inevitable performance review by the Council.

"Then we shall take a different route. Bring your ship into our hangar and we will make the journey in a reasonable amount of time," Atriox responded. He glanced at the navigation console to see the Sangheili on station give a nod of confirmation as he worked out a flight path for the alien ship.

"We have two command ships that will be making the journey. You would invite us onto your vessel?" Garrus inquired.

Atriox shrugged, "You would stay on your ships. It's a short journey, and there's not much damage you could do and survive. From your talks with the Unggoy, I assume you do not have a death wish for you or your species."

"And our trust for you should come from...?" Garrus asked, looking pointedly at Atriox's massive form.

"Yes, because we need you inside our ship for us to present a threat to your continued existence," the Warlord said, sarcasm and boredom obvious in his tone.

Garrus gave a low laugh as he replied, "Fair enough. Your hangar has enough space for two of our ships?"

"Easily," Atriox answered.

"Understood, we will follow the directions provided. Transmitting our destination," the Turian leader replied, sending the coordinates of their path before disconnecting.

As the route appeared on 'Volir's console, the Sangheili glanced at the numbers before closing the message and ordering, "Set course for the Citadel. All non-Unggoy or Jiralhanae crew are to stay out of the main hangar for the duration of the journey. Once the Turians are onboard, initiate the slip."

From the estimated realspace distance, it would take a bit more than two human weeks to travel the 15,000 light years to the Citadel. The Unggoy had declined the invitation to join the delegation and were content with communicating with the Citadel races through the Turian commander.

Assured that 'Volir had everything under control, Atriox mentally reviewed the briefing he had received from Lydus before the arrival of the _Conviction_ above Mupmup. This briefing had included the coordinates of many important worlds and locations for the Turians, including the Citadel.

Unlike the Warden species, who had hidden any possibly useful information by limiting the Turians to trained Unggoy diplomats, the Citadel members seemed to be largely unconcerned with data restriction. Reclaimer intelligence gathering had already revealed a large amount of information that would be quite useful in a hostile situation.

While some of this information was easily found through the Citadel Codex, a lot was also drawn out from behind the weak cybersecurity standards of the Turian vessels. Even though the Reclaimers had yet to make a foray away from Mupmup, at least that they had informed the Wardens about, they still had enough data to conduct a successful campaign against Citadel space.

The arrival of the Banished flagship was permitted by the Unggoy both because of the assistance of the group as well as an attempt to warn off the Citadel. It was calculated that a show of might would buy more time before conflict than appearing meek before the Council.

Most of the worry for such an offensive came from the Citadel's use of FTL travel. While significantly slower than slipspace, it was still a great unknown, something that every commander hated. Examination of the Turian vessels by cloaked Reclaimer stealth craft had revealed no large surprises, though there was no way to test the strength of the Turian shields without suspicion being aroused.

Some members of the Wardens had called for direct observation in the Citadel's galaxy instead, but the Reclaimers had denied this due to the distance involved. Deploying an ONI prowler to a planet held by a member of the Wardens was one thing, but sending a single stealth craft to another galaxy was quite different. Instead, their intelligence gathering agency had loitered in the system, collecting and analyzing data.

From the preliminary findings, the Wardens were fairly confident in making full Contact within the next few decades. Several large conflicts had been mentioned by the Codex, but all were fairly localized events.

Even with the chain of 'Mass Relays' that the Citadel had established, it would take several months for any force to be able to attack Warden space if hostilities did occur. Concerns had been raised about the low cost of these Relays, but it was determined that they posed no critical threat to Warden forces.

Several military analysts had pointed out that these Relays could be weaponized, but from further study that theory was soundly disproven. By the Citadel's understanding of what they called 'Mass Effect', it was impossible to fire a craft from a Relay and have it impact at hyper-luminal velocity.

For the Citadel's knock-off Relays, this was largely due to power output. At 250 meters in length, the small relays were basically built at the low cost of a frigate to allow a short transit using the massless corridor that was created. Instead of having the Mass Effect field around the ship, the Citadel races shaped it into a beam to allow for their other vessels to travel through.

The limiting factor for distance on both the Citadel Relays and the much larger Prothean Relays in the Citadel galaxy, however, was the mass entering the corridor. As the massless route extended farther, there were more particles of space dust or other matter that interfered with the beam. While small on their own, the number in several dozen light-years would quickly overwhelm the Mass Effect field.

While smaller particles limited the distance through number, larger objects simply interrupted the corridor. A vessel going through a Mass Relay aimed at a celestial object would decelerate to the point that it'd be just as effective to drop the ship on the surface without going through a Relay.

This was also what prevented Warden vessels from using the Relays. With no Mass Effect core to reduce their mass, any Relay they used would be unable to catapult ships larger than small frigates.

Atriox pulled his thoughts away from strategy and tactical intelligence as the _Enduring Conviction_ began pulling away from Mupmup. Apparently the Turians had arrived and 'Volir had taken the initiative to start their journey.

As the carrier opened a slipspace portal, its shields glowed as they fought off the effects of the eleven-dimensional highway. This glow was the main focus of the remaining Turian vessels, which was exactly what the captain of the ONI prowler had counted on as the human vessel discretely followed the Banished to the Citadel.

* * *

 **First Age of Realization, Seventh Solar Cycle/9th Day of 16th Month, 2438/October 12, 2567**

 **Widow System**

 **Citadel**

The arrival of the _Enduring Conviction_ at the edge of the system went largely unnoticed, with the only witnesses being those in the hangar of the massive carrier and the sensors of the Citadel Defense Fleet. All civilian traffic was further in system and blindly following flight paths given out by Citadel flight control, not scanning the center of Citadel space for alien vessels.

After they had cleared the rupture, the Turian vessels left their positions on the hangar deck and pulled in front of the Banished flagship. Atriox's transport followed soon after, leaving the _Conviction_ to drift at the edge of the system in case assistance or retribution was needed.

Due to the great distance to the Citadel from their current location, the dropship would dock in one of the hangars of the two Turian frigates while the vessel went to FTL. While mainly a courtesy to repay their journey as well as shorten what would otherwise be a long trip across the system, this arrangement also allowed the Jiralhanae to keep a low profile when meeting the Council.

With the speed given by the Turian FTL travel, the group quickly reached the Citadel. As they were directed to the diplomatic hangar, Garrus took some time to remember his last visit here. By Citadel Galactic Standard Time, it had been one year, five months, and some days. The last visit had been highly publicized as the Systems Alliance made its galactic debut, rather than the extremely quiet affair that had been requested by the Jiralhanae.

As the two Turian frigates arrived at the empty deck area, the alien dropship exited gracefully and drifted to a hover above the floor. From the sides of the Jiralhanae transport came six large beings, each already experienced at boarding and covering from their mission on the _Spirit of Fire_ and other hostile operations.

Atriox glanced at the Turians as they descended from their own ships. Their military order was obvious from the way in which they automatically assembled, although the Jiralhanae Warlord thought that such discipline might make them too predictable an enemy, much as the Covenant had become against the Reclaimers.

One of the Turians led the formation towards Atriox and spoke, "I am Spectre Saren Arterius of the Citadel Council, leader of the 29th Citadel Exploration Fleet and co-leader of the 7th CEF. If you would follow me, please."

Atriox easily understood the Turian as the Citadel translation device converted the greeting to Unggoy and then the Warlord's own translator converted that to Jiralhanae. As the one named Arterius moved off, the pack of Jiralhanae followed, with the rest of the Turians surrounding the formation.

Unlike the Systems Alliance tour around the Presidium, the Jiralhanae were led through more discreet areas. Several views of the Citadel's central ring were visible at times, but the Jiralhanae did nothing more than glance out before ignoring the sight. Several Turians looked at the pack oddly at this, probably put off by the lack of surprise on the part of the Jiralhanae.

Considering that the Turians themselves hid their surprise at the size of the _Conviction_ , Atriox was not interested in playing their games. If they thought a CAS-class carrier was unimpressive due to the lack of their Mass Effect, then the Wardens would have a hard time avoiding a fight. While a war was good for business, such a large-scale galactic conflict could prove disastrous to the Banished if they were seen as a threat to either side. Citadel ships might not be strong, but numbers could easily overwhelm the relatively small fleets that Atriox commanded.

Such concerns occupied Atriox as the group continued towards the Council. Without the long walk for showing off the massive structure, the travel time to the Citadel Tower was greatly shortened. Rarely used corridors and lifts kept them from being seen by the heavy traffic around the area.

The lack of any other beings in the Council Chamber was instantly obvious, as only the three Councillors were present to greet the Jiralhanae. Following the exact same protocol, the Turian soldiers stopped at the foot of the steps while Atriox, Decimus, Garrus, and Saren continued onto the extended platform to talk with the Councillors.

"Welcome to the Citadel. My name is Tevos, Asari Councillor and representative of the Asari Republics on the Citadel Council."

"Salarian Councilor Valern, from the Salarian Union."

"Councillor Sparatus, Turian Hierarchy," the Turian announced.

Atriox took a second to listen to one named Garrus mutter quietly, "For the love of, they could at least try to be different sometimes." By the lack of reaction from the Council, it seemed that the Turian had experience in being discreet with such comments.

Snorting in amusement, the Jiralhanae replied, "Atriox, Warlord of the Banished and War Chieftain of the Alpha Jiralhanae Lydus." His translator was set to Unggoy, which allowed the Council to understand him.

"You are a representative from your people's leadership, then?" Sparatus asked before Tevos could begin talks.

Atriox considered the question for a second and responded, "Representative of the Jiralhanae, yes. Of the Alpha Tribe? No. I cannot speak for the Alpha, I only fight for him if needed."

"So you are a general in the armies of this Lydus?" the Turian Councillor pressed. Tevos glanced over to her colleague, allowing Atriox to see a trace of irritation in her otherwise neutral expression.

"The Banished are an independent group, with no higher leadership than myself. While we do take on fights for the Wardens of the Mantle, the Unggoy, and other interested parties, they do not command us through every move. When we are given an objective, we complete it using whatever way brings us the best result rather than by using set tactics," Atriox explained.

Tevos replied, "By our laws, you would be considered a mercenary group. We had expected to meet with representatives to establish contact with your race, to learn and perhaps trade. Is that still possible?"

Atriox grinned, causing the Councillors to lean back slightly as their instincts of survival flared. "We can trade with you, Councillors. Our price is money and locations to dock our ships. Our tools are the weapons that we have made, found, and otherwise acquired. Our product is the death of your enemies, or perhaps some bit of information that you seek, or for security from the unknown, whichever you wish."

"You are willing to do work for the Council, after just meeting us?" Valern inquired.

"A business does not grow without expanding its horizons, Councillors."

The salarian nodded thoughtfully before continuing, "While the Council is not in need of your assistance here, there may be something you can help with in regards to the Unggoy."

Atriox let his grin fade away as he thought about his current contracts before replying, "The Unggoy are under the protection of the Banished at the current moment. If you are interested in contacting the Kig-Yar that you encountered first, don't bother. As you probably know, they have no central government and tend to shoot first, eat prisoners later."

Tevos grimaced visibly at that, but quickly restored her composure and said, "No, the Kig-Yar are an interest to us, but we cannot fight a war against them with our current travel limits. Actually, our request is for information."

"Not unusual, go on," Atriox encouraged.

"The Unggoy have mentioned a race they call 'Reclaimers'. We would pay you well for any information you can provide on this race. This includes the locations of their worlds, the strengths and shortcomings of their fleets, and information on their technology," Tevos explained.

Before the Warlord could reply, Sparatus continued, "The Council would also be greatly interested in acquiring your services and assistance in an assault on these 'Reclaimers'. According to the Unggoy, the 'Demons' would present the greatest threat in an attack. If the Banished would eliminate these elite troops, our fleets could finish the fight."

"Why do you want to attack the Reclaimers?" Atriox asked, his tone completely serious.

"From our talks with the Unggoy, they seem to have a persistent fear of that race. They will not consider the guidance of the Citadel due to their fear of these 'Demons', even with assurances of our ability to protect them. All species should have the right to join the Citadel, which these 'Reclaimers' are denying," Sparatus insisted.

Atriox growled and replied, "There is a bit more history to the issue than you realize, Turian. The Reclaimers aren't a bunch of slaving scum with a fleet of scrap, they are an adaptable and highly versatile species with a well organized, well trained, and experienced military."

"Then if you will not fight them, will you tell us how we may do so ourselves?" Tevos asked.

"Did you not hear anything I just said? The Unggoy aren't being suppressed by the Reclaimers. No matter how much you offer, they won't leave the Wardens. If I give information on the Demons to you and you go attack them, then the responsibility for that attack would be on me. As much as I want your business, I would prefer to stay alive to get the payment for that information," Atriox stated plainly.

Sparatus scoffed, "We control an entire galaxy and have begun establishing colonies in your own. We have not met these 'Reclaimers' or their 'Demons', so they cannot be a very large state. Would you not at least share their location so that we may talk with them? I'm sure they could benefit greatly in joining the Citadel, as could the Unggoy and your own race."

"The Reclaimers are not spread across the galaxy, this is true. On the other hand, Councillor, neither are you. You have explored in tendrils, there could be entire civilizations between us and you would have no idea. I have talked to the Reclaimers, and they have made it quite clear that they wish to consolidate rather than expand at this time. Now, since I want to keep my head and I assume you want to stay alive, let's move on from information about the Demons," Atriox suggested, foregoing tact and bluntly changing the topic.

"If you still wish for a contract from us, then perhaps we can build trust so that you may inform us about the Reclaimers. For now, there have been some issues with pirate raids along the Turian frontier. If you think that the Banished are capable of dealing with these, then I believe the Hierarchy is offering small sums for each one killed," Tevos mentioned.

Atriox considered the offer for several seconds. While the pay would be worse than the usual anti-piracy activity against the Kig-Yar, it would allow the Banished to sell combat tactics and force composition to the Wardens. It would also allow the Banished to acquire reputation in this galaxy, along with some of the galactic currency. Ultimately, fighting against whatever enemy could threaten the 'Intergalactic Citadel Council' might give a good impression as to how powerful this 'Mass Effect' technology was.

On the other hand, fighting mere pirates could give away the tactics of the Banished to the Citadel races, allowing them to create countermeasures for an actual fight. This would also reveal the power of Banished technology, which could paint a target on them if, as was highly likely, their technology was better than the Citadel's. The Turians might also turn against the Banished if they were weakened for that information, however unlikely it was.

Of course, if Atriox just had his flagship in this galaxy, he could always just steamroll the enemy and leave no survivors. If everyone was dead, then no one could judge the power of the Banished. The issue with that, of course, was if Turian vessels accompanied the _Conviction_ on an elimination mission.

Firing on the Turians to leave no witnesses could work, but if _any_ escaped, the use of friendly fire would prove devastating to the reputation of the Banished. Although, it was also true that if the Turians didn't accompany them and the _Conviction_ killed everything, there would be no witnesses to spread their reputation anyways.

Making a decision, Atriox replied, "Sounds like something that the Banished can help you with. Councillor Sparatus, I would assume that you have the details of this task?"

"I do. We shall send the details to your vessel, and payments will follow as you provide proof of your efforts," the Turian Councillor replied. With that, Atriox turned and began to make his way back to his transport and the _Enduring Conviction_ , ready to start gathering valuable intelligence to sell to the Wardens.

* * *

 **First Age of Realization, Seventh Solar Cycle/16th Day of 20th Month, 2438/January 7, 2568**

 _ **Enduring Conviction**_

 **Vermin Extermination**

When dealing with pirates, or 'Vermin Extermination' as the Banished like to call it, most vessels would use a fair amount of caution. Even when faced with one degraded Kig-Yar ship, the possibility of being hit by a glassing beam or antimatter charge did exist. A careful approach, as a hunter with prey, was taken so as to gain an advantage as fast as possible.

Certain vessels could take a different route, instead relying on shielding and maneuvering to evade the inflexible aim of the glassing beam. Such examples included the Reclaimer's new Infinity-class vessels, which had been known to annihilate entire Kig-Yar fleets, and CAS-class carriers, which were simply too well armed and escorted for Kig-Yar to attack.

As the _Enduring Conviction_ raced towards the irregular mass of ships that had been harassing a Turian world, this advantage became quite evident. Cobbled together from ships that apparently belonged to the Batarian Hegemony, Omega, and other high criminals, the opposition to the Banished was lackluster at best.

Rounds from the Eezo-powered Mass Accelerators pinged off the shielding of the flagship, doing negligible damage and having no change on the trajectory of the five kilometer bullet. With her engines at full burn and 'Volir carefully directing their heading himself, it was only matter of seconds until the carrier was bearing down on the formation of scum.

Considering that the soon-to-be-deceased had had less than a minute to react from the time the _Conviction_ had exited slipspace to this moment, it was impressive that they had managed to get off any shots, however uncoordinated they were. Unluckily, even with their quick reactions to the threat, the Mass Effect-powered ships were no match for the _Enduring Conviction_ at close range.

The first ship to meet the shielded bow of the carrier simply crumpled, exploding into debris as its artificially lowered mass fluctuated with the destruction of the Eezo core. The destabilization of the ship's core caused an effect similar to a disruptor torpedo as the fluctuations in the field tore what remained of the ship into molecular shreds.

While Citadel Kinetic Barriers would break from the stress of the Mass Effect field distortions created by the destabilization of a core, the energy shields the _Conviction_ utilized were not nearly so weak. Seeing as most hulls and energy shields on warships were rated for slipspace, which consisted of eleven dimensions attempting to destroy any ship from all sides, the four-dimensional warps created by Mass Effect were of little consequence.

This lack of a negative effect from the explosion was of little to concern to the remaining enemies as the _Conviction_ continued forward. Several more ships were hit by the CAS carrier, though several were only clipped and sent spinning away as they glanced off the shields of the vessel.

Any ships that had not been destroyed by means of roadkill were quickly assaulted with pulse laser turret fire. Even as the shots began cutting through barriers and allowed plasma turret rounds to melt ships into slag, several of the combatants began to run.

Even as fast as Eezo drives were, they were still no match for the speed of light, which was also the speed at which pulse lasers travelled. While the weapons did less damage per shot, they were still enough to disable fleeing vessels.

Within minutes, the fight was over, allowing the carrier's shields to regenerate from colliding with the enemy ships. The shattered remains of the victims of the Banished's Vermin Extermination plan drifted through space, left for someone else to find. With no survivors, the _Enduring Conviction_ once more entered slipspace, off to another fleet of scum to hone their tactics and technology against.

* * *

 **First Age of Realization, Eighth Solar Cycle/11th Day of 7th Month, 2439/May 18, 2568**

 **Wardens of the Mantle Summit**

 **Harvest**

Once again the Wardens of the Mantle were gathered together for an update on the situation on the Citadel. With the connection that the Banished had made, along with the information that the independent group had gathered, much had been learned about the species making up the Council.

Numen Fewkes, Admiral of the Reclaimer's Office of Naval Intelligence, was the first to speak, "As per our instructions and contract, the Banished vessel known as the _Enduring Conviction_ allowed our asset to utilize its slip to the Citadel. Subsequent intelligence was gathered and has been returned to us, allowing us to confirm information acquired from the Turian databases as well as the UNSC _Spirit of Fire_."

"Unlike our previous meeting, where we had been limited by time and the lack of operational security, the Office now has a solid estimate for several crucial force projections. The UEG, by decision of the Senate, President, and UNSC leaders, shall continue to abstain from Contact with the Citadel Council and other species from that galaxy."

The Admiral took several seconds to organize the relevant information in his mind before he continued, "At this time, it is the opinion of ONI and other UNSC Intelligence agencies that the Citadel Council does not present a credible military threat. While their fleet is large, it is also co-dependent, with the Asari providing heavy-hitting vessels, the Turians making up the numbers, and the Salarians assigned to intelligence."

"Without the Asari to support the Turians in a prolonged engagement, the weaker but more numerous Turians would be unable to breach the shields of our capital ships in such numbers as to sway a battle. If the Turians withheld from a fight, then the Asari would not have the numbers to withstand the casualties we could inflict on them. Without the Salarians, the other two would never know how or even where to fight our fleets," Fewkes said.

"However, even if they did work together in such cohesion so as to cover their weaknesses, there are still issues with supply lines. The Citadel, while technically Intergalactic, is not equipped to supply the fleet numbers necessary to take on the Wardens. While they might be able to attack the smaller fleets, such as those of the Unggoy or Fringe, they would present little difficulty to the Sangheili, UEG, or Jiralhanae."

Thel 'Vadam interrupted before the human could continue, "This is assuming that we would fight alone. The Wardens are meant to be a unified force, so what is the assessment in that scenario?"

"Assuming that navigational data and other information on Warden assets is properly restricted, the threat to the Wardens is considered minimal. However, it is unlikely that this confidentiality can be maintained once contact is made. With a joint-force of the Wardens, the largest issue to solve will be successfully covering all Warden worlds from Citadel FTL," the Admiral explained.

One of the Fleetmasters of the Swords of Sanghelios inquired, "If the Turians and their allies were to attack, our defenses would hold. What of an attack of our own?"

Fewkes shook his head and replied, "An attack on Citadel space would be extremely challenging. While we have the vessels and personnel to complete such a move, our force projection would be too focused. Supply lines would be protected by our use of slipspace, but the number of ships needed to supply a single invasion fleet would be enormous due to the duration of the journey as well as the size of such a group."

"Any attack would also need to be sent to a valuable target. While our ships easily outclass those of the Citadel, the Council and its members have occupied their galaxy. Their coverage is spotty due to the use of their relays, but it is still a massive area to cover. The will to fight is also an issue, and will continue to be so for the UEG at the least," the ONI leader finished.

President Peter Lebeau added, "The UNSC will defend any members of the Wardens if they are attack and we would be willing to commit to a counterattack in such an event. At this time, however, the UEG is still dealing with the fallout from the Covenant War and I cannot sanction an attack with the social, economical, and political turmoil that still exists. This policy is likely to stay the same for some time past my term, as I have said before."

Chieftain Lydus grunted before responding, "Understood. What of using these Mass Relays? If they are limited by those, then our ships could use the same method to trace their worlds."

"That is a possibility, to a limited extent. Our smaller craft could use these Relays, but capital ships would need to use standard Slipspace travel. The strategy developed by the UNSC would be to use the location of the Relays given by the Citadel to guide our fleets, rather than sending vessels through the Relays themselves," Admiral Fewkes explained.

"What of the other species? The Council leaders we heard last meet, but what new data is found from the craft?" Mahola Yote Rupni asked.

Admiral Fewkes took several seconds to interpret the broken speech of the Mgalekgolo leader before replying, "Turians provide the bulk of the Citadel Fleet, the Asari are the main diplomats and cultural power, and the Salarians handle intelligence. Those three are the only significant military powers of that galaxy. There are many other species, but none with any significant assets for conducting military operations."

"While only three species make up the Citadel Council itself, there are seventeen separate species that are known to the Citadel. The members of the Council include six additional species, leaving the Citadel Council at nine species making up its bloc. Six races aren't members of the Citadel but have made and maintained contact with the the seventeen, two are considered extinct, one of those being an ancient race with only ruins left behind," Fewkes summarized.

"Protheans, as the Citadel calls them, were a race that mysteriously disappeared 50,000 years ago. Preliminary findings indicate that the Council's belief that the Protheans built the Mass Relays and Citadel itself are incorrect, as the architectural styles do not match. Even though they are an ancient race, there is nothing to indicate that the Protheans nor the creators of the Relays could have provided any challenge to the Forerunners."

Several beings were visibly relieved that these 'Protheans' were not on the level of the Forerunners. The human speaker nodded at them in acknowledgement and continued, "The other extinct race is called the Rachni. Apparently they attacked that Citadel species at First Contact, which eventually led to their extinction when the Council fought back."

"Wiping a race from existence is a monumental endeavor. These Citadel species managed it, yet you are unconcerned by their might?" the Arbiter questioned.

"The Rachni War went on for 300 years and required the help of another race to end. This race, known as Krogan, is no longer a member of the Citadel. Due to their reproductive rate, they experienced a population explosion after the end of the Rachni. To end this conflict, the Citadel brought the Turians to bear, which eventually led to the dispersion of a biological weapon that is slowly leading to the Genocide of the Krogan race," Fewkes said, his voice solid even while talking about the direct violation of the Mantle of Responsibility.

Subtle shifts in body language were evident around the chamber as the Wardens of the Mantle processed this news. Eventually, the Huragok representative spoke, "Is there any plan of action for this heresy?"

Lord Admiral Hood replied, "Krogan live for many years, so it is not an issue that is critical to solve immediately. Whether it is the Forerunner or Human interpretation of the Mantle that each of you follows, this _is_ a violation of the ideals of the Mantle. Each race has the right to exist."

Fewkes picked up from there, "Our main concern at this time is the liberal use of genocide as a weapon for the Citadel Council. While our medical knowledge could defeat such biological methods, there is still the potential for massive casualties if a Weapon of Mass Destruction is deployed. Even without direct action from the Council, they have still shown a remarkable disregard for the continued existence of species if they are threatened."

"Such an example of this is seen in the Quarians, a technologically gifted race that created the Geth. At this time, ONI is considering classifying this race under the threat of extinction from the actions of the Council."

"These Quarians used to be members of the Citadel, but their association ended recently with the expulsion of the species. From Citadel records, the Geth are a Collective Intelligence that was created by the Quarians. Due to the Council's ineptitude in the field of computing, the Geth were mislabeled as Artificial Intelligence and were attacked by the Quarians due to their acquired sentience. After that war, with their worlds taken by the Geth and the Citadel Council bordering on hostilities, the Quarians were confined to a wandering fleet of 50,000 ships," the ONI leader finished.

Rtas 'Vadum spoke first, "A fleet of 50,000 and they are not a major military power?"

"Our stealth assets that were assigned to the mission have not located this group of ships, but due to the circumstances, it is assumed that the vast majority are civilian craft. They must have some military vessels, but if a fleet of that size cannot stand against the Citadel, then it cannot be many. As for the Citadel, ship numbers are deceptive due to the small size of Mass Effect vessels."

Lydus scoffed at the idea of civilian craft due to Jiralhanae classifications, which merely ranked vessels by their destructive power. The Alpha Chieftain then asked, "What of this race of Constructs? Is there information on their prowess?"

"There was almost no information on the Geth in Citadel systems. ONI is considering dispatching another craft to observe this race and possibly initiate a quiet Contact. Since the Geth seem to be quite secluded and not inclined to publicity like the Council, it is an option," Fleet Admiral Hood stated.

"Others might join you in your journey," Chancellor Fupklaz suggested.

The UEG President tilted his head in acknowledgement, "Understood, and arrangements can be made. At this time, ONI would need to scout the system before we make such a long distance expedition. Please continue, Admiral."

"Yes, sir. There are only three other species that aren't members of the Council. None are especially notable. The Yahg were encountered by the Citadel and quarantined due to violent first contact. Keepers are seemingly sentient beings on the Citadel that perform upkeep on the station, however, no successful communication has been made with them. Vorcha are an aggressive but short-lived species that has no government or other organized leadership beyond their involvement in criminal gangs."

"Now for the remaining species that make up the Citadel Council membership. Hanar are an odd race, mostly religious with little military power and vulnerable automated defenses around their planets. Not much else is known about them, or there is not much to know. At this time, ONI is not entirely sure which is more likely," Fewkes said with an awkward half-shrug.

He took a second to glance down at his briefing notes before continuing, "Most of the Hanar military force comes from a species known as the Drell. Uplifted off their homeworld due to dwindling resources, the Drell only have several million beings in the population and are very loyal to the Hanar. Assassinations by Drell are a common tactic by Hanar, so that is the main risk in our interaction with them."

"Dishonorable," one of the Sangheili Fleetmasters muttered.

The Admiral of ONI glanced at the Elite but hid any other reaction and resumed, "Beings going by the label of Elcor are large quadrupeds, though they are slow and have few space-worthy craft. The threat assessment by ONI puts them as barely capable of self-defense. While they have been known to use firearms mounted on their backs, they are such large targets that long-range elimination will have no issue in dealing with them."

"The main economic management of the Citadel comes from the Volus. Considering their paramount importance to galactic stability as well as centuries of contact with the Citadel, it is surprising that this species does not have a place on the Council. Their military is of a fair size, and well funded, although they are not considered a threat to a competently led fleet."

Finished with the easy summaries, Admiral Fewkes sighed, "All of those races are fairly simple. Plans will have to be made for the Geth, dealing with the Quarian dilemma, and assessing the possibility of helping the Krogans versus the higher threat assessment they received. None of those species are members of the Citadel Council. All of that may be done over the next few years, however, and while methods may differ, the end goal is clear."

"That is not the case for the last two known species. Our assets are currently obtaining more information for analysis, but the current assessment indicates that extensive issues will develop between the Wardens and these two Council members."

Lydus grunted and admonished, "Stop fleeing from the truth. Speak plainly and we will listen."

"As you wish. The first species has been a member of the Council for some time, although their ties do not seem to be strong in our view. Known as the Batarians, they've been in conflict with other Citadel species regularly, though never on a large scale and never leading to an escalation," the human started.

After a quick glance around, Fewkes continued, "It is highly recommended by the Office of Naval Intelligence that the Wardens work to separate the Batarians from the Citadel before commencing an assault against their state. The Batarian Hegemony has an extensive history in attacking species for the purpose of enslavement, and it is considered highly likely that they would interfere with any Warden position near their territory."

Fupklaz interupted at this, "The solution is easy. We must end their heresy and show them the Mantle, so that they do not cross it again."

"Every race has a right to exist. If one dominates another, then the weak must grow strong. It is not our place to interfere," Lydus argued.

"Lies of the Prophets," the Arbiter declared vehemently. "We were weak under the Covenant and its falsehoods. If it weren't for the Reclaimers, we would have all been dead. To become strong, they first must be taught that they are capable of being so. You would deny them that realization?"

The Jiralhanae Alpha shook his head and replied, "To be Chieftain, a leader must prove his prowess by defeating those who would challenge him. If the Citadel Council will not accept those challenges, then they are not our concern. By the Mantle of the Forerunners, if a race is allowed to exist, even if dominated, then all is well."

"Even if that Mantle failed them? Chieftain, the Forerunners are gone. Humanity holds the Mantle of Responsibility, and is our interpretation that matters," Peter Lebeau declared. "Humanity has not yet settled on the ideals of the Mantle, and we likely won't for several centuries, if not millennia. Some general principles have been accepted, but others are highly debated, as is common in our civilization."

"As of now, the interpretation of the Mantle of Responsibility from the United Earth Government is that every being is protected under unalienable rights. The right to exist and right to self-determination are among the most basic articles. Both of these items have already gained an unassailable majority of opinion from our population. The Mantle of Responsibility forbids slavery for violating the Inherent Rights of Sentient Beings," the UEG President finished.

Lydus narrowed his eyes and asked, "So I cannot disagree to an attack on these Batarians?"

Fleet Admiral Hood was the first to respond, "You may agree or disagree however much you like, Chieftain. It is your right as a free being. What matters is that the UEG, and by extension the UNSC, will deal with this problem, one way or another. If that requires an independent invasion without the full support of the Wardens, then that is what will happen."

"And your hesitance to go to battle with the Citadel? Are you afraid of their might?" the Mgalekgolo representative asked.

"Our fight with the Batarians would not be direct," Admiral Fewkes answered. "The UNSC has assigned ONI to the issue of the Hegemony."

Lord Hood picked up the explanation, "Direct confrontation is undesirable at this time. Our capabilities and presence in general should be concealed. Once the UEG makes official contact with the Citadel Council, we may assign more assets to this issue. For now, our goal is to degrade Citadel and Batarian relations."

"Hiding in the shadows and stabbing your foe in the back. Typical human fighting," Lydus said disdainfully, irritated at the direction the conversation was taking.

"The UNSC likes to keep its soldiers alive. If you would like to send your warriors to a frontal assault against a dug-in enemy, that is your choice. Perhaps it is a more honorable method, but there is no honor in dying for nothing," Hood fired back.

All attention was diverted from the small argument to the Huragok as it inquired, "How will the Reclaimers manipulate the Batarians if they wish to be unknown? There must be some contact."

Admiral Fewkes glanced at Hood, prompting the Fleet Admiral to mutter, "Tell them. Better that they learn now rather from random chance."

Curious glances were exchanged between factions at these words. All of them knew that the Reclaimers liked their secrets, so for one to be revealed so easily was odd.

"While the Batarian issue can be resolved over time, the problem that the second species I mentioned cannot. Included in the information report we received from our vessel in the field is confirmation that a human government is a member of the Citadel Council."

Silence met this statement as experienced leaders of both civilian and military backgrounds considered this logically instead of instantly starting to bicker. Decades of war and strife had led to strong leaders rather than idiots that shouted out nonsense at the first unknown threat.

"Explain," Thel 'Vadam eventually demanded.

"ONI was aware of a large number of Insurrectionists and Outer Colony settlers gathering together after fleeing the Covenant. Due to the threat to the Inner Colonies after Cole's assumed death, UNSC assets were not available to intervene. Our last contact with our agents in their fleet indicated that hundreds of thousands of civilian vessels were fleeing the Orion Arm," Fewkes summarized.

He continued, "It is most likely that this group came into contact with the Citadel recently and have been attempting to build a relation with the Council. Whether they think if this would protect them from the Covenant or the UNSC is unknown."

"What of their status as Reclaimers?" the Huragok inquired.

The ONI Admiral considered the question for a second before replying, "As of now, we have no confirmation or rejection of their status as Reclaimers. From information gathered from the Domain, we predict that their separation from the Librarian's changes will result in their status being revoked."

"That is speculation, however. These Innies, or the Systems Alliance as they are known on the Citadel, are considered the greatest threat to Warden forces. For interaction with other races, we plan to use the assumption that we are from this Alliance to establish our position. It is advised to all Warden members to prepare for interception of Alliance attempts to obtain Forerunner artifacts," Fewkes said."

"What of the Halos? They are secure?" Rtas questioned.

Hood answered, "The fleets protecting and decommissioning the Rings have been properly advised and reinforced. Other important Forerunner Installations and Locations have been or will be secured as more forces are produced."

"So what do we do with the humans?" the Unggoy Chancellor asked.

"I would assume that is why we are hearing about this," Thel 'Vadam replied.

Lebeau nodded, "Indeed. The UEG is hesitant to take back such a large number of Insurrectionists, but eliminating their government is also seen as undesirable. Chaos and suffering are not our goal, even for former enemies of the state. Many options exist, but ONI needs to collect more information before making a recommendation. It was decided that members of the Wardens would appreciate hearing this now, rather than when all data was gathered."

Several nods from Warden leaders followed this admission, showing that it had been the right choice.

Lydus was the first to break the silence that followed as he began, "The decision on the fate of these humans can be made later. For now, I would like to focus on what we know. From what you have said, Reclaimer, the Citadel has broken the Mantle of both the Forerunners and your own. If this will require combat, then carving out an anchor for our fleets is wise."

"The Banished flagship is on contract with the Citadel to reduce their pirate problem," the Fringe leader noted, speaking for the first time.

"Yes," Mahola Yote Rupni rumbled. The Mgalekgolo carried on, "If the hired ones could be influenced to clear an isolated world, it might work."

Lydus picked up on the idea and proposed, "As payment, Atriox and his pack could dock their ships at that location as well. It would make it simple to send Banished vessels when our own might reveal too much."

A snort from the Arbiter drew attention to the Sangheili, "Since both the Council of Guardians as well as the High Senate of the Wardens of the Mantle are present, I would propose that the defenses for such an outpost be handled by the Guardians. If it is to be an anchor for the Wardens, then it is only right that the defenses be unified under its military."

"If it is a place for big things, defenses won't be a problem," Fupklaz stated. The idea of so much firepower at one place seemed to amuse the Unggoy, likely because it would be the first time that the Unggoy deployed alongside their allies.

"Once we have established a strong position, the Sangheili will initiate Contact with the Citadel. Are there any others who would wish to accompany our delegation or send their own at a different time? Dividing the focus of this Council would likely work against our objectives," the Arbiter stated.

When all other species had indicated their intentions to remain hidden, the discussion moved on to setting the foundations for interaction between the Wardens and the Citadel. Plans were made and fallbacks arranged in preparation for full Contact between the two superpowers.

* * *

 **First Age of Realization, Eighth Solar Cycle/3rd Day of 9th Month, 2439/June 16, 2568**

 _ **Enduring Conviction**_

 **Slipstream Space**

It had taken nearly a month to locate a planet for the Wardens to occupy. Most had been too well known or accessible for such a covert operation, so the Banished had to resort to capturing and interrogating any Vermin they came across.

The value of having a Reclaimer Intelligence vessel accompanying them became quite apparent at that point. A dropship had emerged from the cloaking field of the Reclaimers and brought aboard an interrogator. While Atriox knew torture very well, he was far outclassed by the ONI Agents when it came to spinning lies to find specific information.

Eventually, one of the scumbags had known about a planet, located in the Alpha Draconis System, which was part of the Rosetta Nebula. With a general location now known, the Reclaimers had returned to their skulking while the _Conviction_ set course for the system.

According to a message given to him by the ONI agent, a Warden fleet was waiting for coordinates at the edge of the system, hidden from detection by the Nebula. When the Banished had clear the orbit of the selected planet, Atriox was to contact them before beginning to eliminate any resistance on the ground.

From the information given by the Vermin, the targeted world was unknown to any species, allowing it to flourish as a haven for criminal activity out in the Terminus. The nearest Mass Relay was across the main body of the Nebula, allowing the actions of the Wardens to go unnoticed.

On the other hand, this also meant that the specific coordinates of the world could not be drawn from Citadel databanks. To solve this, the Banished flagship had followed and tagged a ship that was heading for the system as they worked off of intelligence given to them by the Reclaimer's craft.

Judging by the data now coming in from the tracking beacon affixed to the hull of the pirate ship, the _Enduring Conviction_ would need to drop out of the Void soon. The CAS-class carrier would be met by the small number of ships that were above the planet.

Going by the report sent by the Reclaimer Prowler, this fleet consisted of 31 frigates, with fifteen on Batarian design and build, twelve old Turian frigates that they had likely bought, and four Asari frigates that had been stolen. There were also six cruisers that consisted of three Turian models, two Batarian, and one Asari cruiser, which was probably the jewel of the fleet.

Not an intimidating force, though they could cause some damage if mishandled. Knowing that 'Volir would be a far more effective naval commander than himself, Atriox watched as the Sangheili directed the officers on his bridge, preparing to exit slipspace on a combat footing.

As the carrier emerged from the Void, Atriox glanced between the ships on screen and the tactical display at the center of the bridge. Behind both scenes was the surface of the planet, though it was cut off on the bridge display.

With the contacts now confirmed and all systems ready, 'Volir ordered, "Fire on all targets as we close range. Launch Seraphs and put the Phantoms on alert for a ground assault. Keep our profile and be prepared for combat maneuvers."

Each order was carried out efficiently as the individual officers manning their stations went to work. While the weapons on the _Conviction_ were still silent as the ship closed the gap, the tactical display began to quickly fill with icons representing the large fleet of fighter-craft that were onboard.

In response to this, several small craft were detected from the Vermin as their larger ships turned to face the Banished threat.

Due to the carrier's vector when it had left slipspace, a small compensation was required to bring the bow around and conceal the broadside of the _Conviction_. Since the screen was merely an image transmitted by cameras on the outer hull, there was no change in the view, though Atriox could feel the subtle change in vibration of the engines as the massive forces worked to adjust the ship.

As the two forces moved within the extreme limits of their range, the impatience of the Vermin became apparent. Eleven flashes heralded the impact of two small projectiles on the shields of the carrier, with all other missing due to incompetence or inferior Mass Effect systems.

Since the weapons on the carrier were still out of range, mostly because of energy dispersion into the void of space, the Banished crew was forced to watch as several more ships joined in on the long-range slugfest.

It was obvious that the confidence of an easy victory for the Vermin was extinguished as the _Enduring Conviction_ held true to its name and continued onward, heedless of the firepower being directed against it. Seventeen frigates and four cruisers broke formation and broke clear of the carrier's path, probably realizing that being rammed was a very real possibility.

This created a battlefield in which the _Conviction_ was made to fight. With their enemy divided and the Banished flagship headed for the center, 'Volir could utilize weaponry on both sides of the ship.

As the massive vessel closed within 100,000, the energy projector on the keel of the bow discharged, creating a brilliant silver beam of plasma that raced towards the enemy ships. In the third of a second it took for the mass of energized particles to reach their destination, all the Vermin managed to do was realize that they were being fired at.

One of the Turian-made cruisers met the ray of plasma head on, its barriers doing nothing to stop the weapon that could pierce capital-class energy shielding. The physical material of the hull had about as much luck as the thin armor flash-vaporized, the plasma cutting through the interior from bow to stern and continuing on to side-swipe a Batarian frigate.

Considering that energy projectors could cut through entire armored UNSC vessels, which included meters of titanium-A battleplate, the Citadel ships stood no chance. What little remained of both vessels was already floating dead in space, their crews slaughtered by fatal doses of radiation from the beam.

This display of might was enough for the mismatched fleet of pirates and other scum to halt their headlong charged. While the larger ships began to try and organize themselves for a coordinated assault, the fighter screens for both factions passed by their respective ships to meet in the middle of the field.

Seeing as CAS-class carriers were specifically devoted to fighter deployment and fleet command while the opposing fleet, and Council races in general, had no such tactic, the number of Seraphs far exceeded the few fighters that the Citadel races stored in their hulls. The advantage of this became instantly apparent as pulse lasers, heavy plasma cannons, and Class-2 fuel rod cannons made quick work of the Citadel Interceptors.

Utilizing a common Banished tactic, the Seraph multi-role fighters changed course to swarm the outermost frigate, one of Batarian design. Several GARDIAN lasers impacted against the energy shields, though Atriox only knew this because of the glow surrounding vessels that had been hit.

Since the Citadel's GARDIAN lasers operated at infrared or ultraviolet frequencies, there was no visible beam to indicate attacks. This was different from the pulse lasers developed by the Covenant, which used hydrogen fluoride as fuel and operated in the visible spectrum. While the pulse laser was far more powerful with energy consumption in the kilowatt range, the Citadel GARDIAN defenses did not require shielding to be dropped to fire them.

However, the issue with the weaker system was easily apparent as the lasers meant to take out torpedoes and bypass kinetic barriers met the strong energy shields of the Banished fighters. Within seconds, the Batarian frigate had been disabled, its engines melted and bridge deprived of atmosphere.

As two other frigates, a Batarian and Turian, turned to try and assist their Vermin allies, the _Conviction_ moved within 50,000 kilometers. Atriox glanced at 'Volir's tactical readout, seeing that systems were holding steady, though their shields were noticeably reduced. With each ship firing every few seconds, several petajoules of energy had been imparted to the carrier's shields, proving that its classification as an assault vessel was not unwarranted.

Unluckily for the Vermin, however, their free-for-all was at an end as the _Conviction_ entered effective range for pulse laser fire. Atriox noted that the Seraph swarm had moved on from their original target to begin tearing into the two frigates that had attempted to assist. Several of the fighters had kept back to let their shields regenerate before rejoining the fight, although some hadn't managed to do so as small bits of fighters were visible on the magnified bridge view.

The attention of the Warlord was brought back to the larger ships as flashes of purple light slashed through Vermin craft. Seven vessels were taken out, two of which were Batarian and Turian cruisers while three were Batarian frigates, one Asari frigate, and the last being a Turian frigate.

Seeing their allies fall to the unrelenting advance of the Banished, five ships broke formation and began to flee, attempting to calculate an FTL route to escape the system. 'Volir quickly responded, utilizing his experience in preventing such escapes to direct heavy pulse laser fire at the vessels.

As the two Batarian and three Turian frigates became dead in space with their engines destroyed by the barrage, a group of Seraphs broke off from the main swarm and began annihilating the remnants.

By this point, the _Conviction_ had entered the main body of the enemy fleet. As the field was currently sitting, the Asari cruiser was sitting in front of the assault carrier with an escort of the three Asari frigates, four Batarian frigates, and three Turian frigates. To the port of the Banished flagship was the remaining Turian and Batarian cruisers alongside two Batarian frigates and three more Turian frigates. On the starboard were the last two ships, both frigates, one of Batarian design and the other a Turian build.

Knowing that the Seraph swarm would have their starboard side secured momentarily, 'Volir directed the plasma torpedo turrets to concentrate fire on the port side pirate cruisers. The frigates were already being dealt with by pulse laser fire, the close range allowing minimal diffraction of the beam.

Metal and ceramic was flash vaporized by the assault, exposing those inside to the uninviting void of space. Several Eezo cores detonated as shots began to punch through entire vessels, leaving pieces drifting amongst the gravitational distortions.

Before the Banished ship could concentrate their weapons on the last group of ships, a bright flash erupted in their midst. Even as the bridge viewscreen adjusted, Atriox knew that the Vermin had met their end in the hellfire of a nuclear weapon dropped by the Reclaimers.

His deduction proved true as the fireball quickly radiated its energy to the void around it, causing the _Conviction_ 's shields to flare slightly as they fought off the high levels of radiation. As the carrier drifted towards the planet, Atriox glanced around at the remains of the pirate fleet.

Honestly, there wasn't much to look at.

The Asari vessels had been at the epicenter of the blast, and thus were completely atomized by temperatures in the tens of millions of degrees by the human's centigrade scale. Any ship not caught in the fireball had been heavily damaged, with most being melted masses of slag instead of any recognizable shape.

At the outermost edges were the vessels that were worst off. Instead of the instantaneous death of their comrades, the crews on board the three barely identifiable frigates would have been burned by the radiation of the blast. While their hulls could handle passive solar radiation, there would be no way that the thin physical material could've saved the crew from lethal rad doses. They would float, dead in space, until the lack of supplies, air, or radiation burns killed them.

Atriox grunted as he suppressed a laugh at the thought of the Vermin dying in such a way. Intelligent as he was, he was still a Jiralhanae at heart, and the thought of his enemies suffering would never fail to please him.

Glancing at the screen once more, the Warlord saw a slight glimmer against the darkness of space. Considering that it disappeared almost immediately, Atriox deduced that it was the wake of the nuclear detonation passing over the Reclaimer vessel.

Knowing that the Reclaimers would already be somewhere else, Atriox ignored the visual and watched as 'Volir sent an all-clear to the Warden fleet.

It took several minutes for the _Enduring Conviction_ to enter a stable orbit above the planet. As Atriox turned to head for hangar and command the ground assault from the front, he caught a glimpse of a slipspace portal opening.

The massive form of a UNSC Cradle emerged, the 13.2 kilometer-long construct drifting slightly as it attempted to adjust for the planet's gravity. Following were multiple warships, including two Infinity-class ships, a CAS-class carrier, and a large number of smaller ships from multiple factions that quickly fell into formation.

As the view was cut off, Atriox smiled. The Wardens had arrived, and may the Forerunners help any poor soul that attempted to dislodge the Reclaimers from their new Bastion.

* * *

 **The UNSC** _ **Infinity**_ **takes on an entire Kig-Yar pirate fleet in the Halo:Escalations comics.**

 **The planet that the Banished 'liberate' is known as 2175 Aeia in ME Canon. Just for reference.**

 **Plasma Projectors have a firing velocity of** _ **c**_ **and a maximum range of 100,000 kilometers. Such is canon. The only argument I'd have is about the range, but 100,000 kilometer range is large as it is.**

 **As for the ME ships, they technically have unlimited range, since unlike plasma there is no energy lost to radiation. I also assume that there is a limit to accuracy, as the ME races do not have AI for precision, nor a fine control of vectoring at massive distances, which would honestly be a problem for the UNSC as well due to physical measurement limitations. Usually they would wait until the ship is closer until firing, as most vessels would be able to dodge, since it'd take about 30 seconds for a round to close the distance between the ships.**

 **That is assuming that both ships are moving at each other and are at about 150,000-100,000 kilometers apart, with the round traveling at 3,000 km/s from the frame of reference of the firing vessel.**

 **As you might be able to tell, I think that stories with Halo leaders suddenly shouting over each other and sounding like idiots are stupid. The species in Halo have been at war for literal DECADES. They wouldn't start arguing and descend into chaos in the middle of a briefing. Duh.**

 **So, know how I said that this chapter would be the last before the Meeting between the full might of the Wardens and the Citadel? Yeah, that didn't happen. It was around the point that I hit 8,000 words and was still on the Wardens briefing that I realized this.**

 **My apologies, I'll try to get the next chapter out quickly.**

- _evevee_


	9. Contact Established

Disclaimer: I own no franchise mentioned in this work. Halo belongs to 343, Mass Effect to Bioware.

 **Tried to get this second part out a bit quicker, since I had thought that these two chapters would be one. As such, I thought that this chapter might be slightly shorter than usual. It is not. Whoops.**

 **I split these up because I don't like creating massive 20,000 word chapters. With review responses, most of my chapters end up at 11,000-13,000 words. Without, they sit at 10,000-11,000 words. Anyways...kind of a tangent there.**

 **Review responses will be in the next chapter, since this is basically a Part II to the last chapter. As for the next chapter, it will likely not be out for a while, as I have a lot of stuff going on and limited writing time, so begging for quicker updates will get nowhere.**

* * *

 **11th Day of 18th Month, 2449/First Age of Realization, Sixteenth Solar Cycle (September 28th, 2579)**

 **Councillor Tevos**

 **Citadel Council Chambers**

There was no other species or group that had maintained such a veil of secrecy such as these 'Wardens'. Tevos had been on the Citadel Council for several decades, so she had not been involved in a First Contact before the humans, but even in the Council's records there was no mention of quiet Contacts like this.

Whether peaceful or hostile, each First Contact had been very public, whether it was on the Citadel or the Frontier. Even the Systems Alliance, with all its caution and military buildup, had welcomed the public to see their discussions with the Citadel.

Thinking on it, Tevos had to admit that the ongoing Systems Alliance negotiations probably helped distract from any oddities someone might pick out with the subtle meetings between the Council and select members of the Wardens. While the Unggoy had only met with Council representatives rather than seen Tevos and her colleagues directly, the talks with Atriox the Jiralhanae and now this new species were significantly more difficult to hide.

Reports from the Citadel Defense Fleet had indicated that another vessel was on the edge of the system, out of sight of civilians but right at the limits of the sensors around the Mass Relay. These sensors were in place to alert the CDF of Relay activity, so there weren't exact dimensions on the ship, but initial analysis had labeled it as fairly close if not identical to the ship Atriox had arrived on.

If that was so, then Tevos worried about the number of these massive ships that the Wardens had. It had been a source of concern for both Valern and Sparatus due to the implications of military might, but Atriox's willingness to work with the Citadel had put that to rest. Even now, it was hard to believe that these Wardens would be able to field a vessel over 5 Human kilometers long.

The largest vessels from any species in Citadel space were the Quarian Liveships, which were just under 6 Citadel kilometers long, or 3 for the humans. Those were so long due to the tails, which housed most of the crew. According to the reports from the two Council Spectres, the same might be true of these Wardens.

Garrus and Saren had reported that these vessels used no Mass Effect, so it was likely that they ran off the slower Slipspace that Ambassador Udina had mentioned. This lack of Eezo would also remove the possibility of Kinetic Barriers, which would tilt any fight in the Citadel's favor. While they made for impressive ships, in combat they would do rather poorly.

Having a human to consult with would be convenient, but since the Systems Alliance was still in negotiations, that couldn't happen. Having two races forced together for a First Contact by a third party with unstable ties to both could be disastrous.

Tevos pushed away those distracting thoughts as the doors to the Chamber's lower level access elevator opened. The Alliance would be dealt with eventually, now it was time to meet another race of the Wardens of the Mantle.

The beings that entered were quite impressive, close to the Jiralhanae in height if not in bulk. Leading the group was a massive figure clad in beautiful golden armor, which was encouraging for talks. Hopefully the Council could actually meet a leader of the Wardens rather than the mercenary that Atriox had been. If good relations could be established with one, the entire group could be pulled into the guidance of the Council.

Behind this leader were four more of the species, each armored in extremely decorative plates that seemed like they would interfere greatly in combat. Sparatus would probably have a better tactical assessment, but the golden fringes on their armor did not seem to serve any purpose. The heavy armor underneath, however, would probably prove slightly better at protecting them.

Smiling, the Asari Councillor waited until the towering figures had arrived in their place below the Council before speaking, "Welcome to the Citadel. My name is Tevos, Asari Councillor and representative of the Asari Republics on the Citadel Council."

Even as she said it, Tevos acknowledged that the line was getting old. Meeting three new species in person was unprecedented, not to mention that these Wardens apparently had several more in their group. Yet, it was the greeting that every Asari had used for each new species, excluding the hostile Rachni and Geth, of course.

"Councillor Valern, from the Salarian Union," Tevos' colleague stated, even as distracted as he was analyzing the creature in front of them. While it would be hard to spot for most, years of working with the Salarian in day-to-day issues allowed the Asari Matriarch to idly note the subtle tells.

"Councillor Sparatus, Turian Hierarchy."

Resisting the urge to express her exasperation at the Turian's gruff voice, Tevos waited as the alien's technology translated the speech using the same data that had been developed for the Unggoy by the 7th and 29th Exploration Fleets. It was likely that the Unggoy's language would then be translated into whatever speech this being used, at least judging by how Atriox and the Jiralhanae had utilized their translations.

Evidently the being had been examining something else or was otherwise distracted from the words of greeting as it looked up at the Councillors as if noticing them for the first time. Tevos instantly noticed the amber eyes looking at her, evaluating and categorizing her as only a warrior could. This was quickly eclipsed by the mandibles lined with sharp teeth that were slightly open as the being responded to the introductions.

"I am the Kaidon of the House of Vadam, Arbiter of the Swords of Sanghelios, leader of the Sangheili people in the Wardens of the Mantle. You asked to meet a leader of the Wardens, so I have arrived. What do you wish to discuss?" the being asked gruffly. Apparently the desire to quickly get to business was a trait shared by both the Jiralhanae and Sangheili.

Sparatus replied, "This Council requested your presence more than ten years prior. Even the mercenary known as Atriox has kept communications open. What is the delay in your arrival?"

It took an appreciable amount of Tevos' control to not tell her colleague to be quiet. In the years since their appointment, both Sparatus and Valern had grown into their roles. Sparatus would have several more decades on the Council, so long as he wasn't replaced by the Primarch of the Turian Hierarchy.

Valern, however, had much less time. Even with the improvements to Salarian lifespans in the thousands of years since their induction to the Citadel Council, individuals were still greatly limited. Whereas Asari and Turians could live for a millennia or a couple centuries, respectively, Salarians were limited to about 50-75 years, depending on the quality of life.

At 40 years old, Valern was fairly young, and it was highly unlikely that the Dalatrass would withdraw the Councillor. He did his job well and had a fair number of connections, but there was simply no solution for the maximal lifespan of his species. As with all Salarian Councillors, he had been raised for a position in politics, which was what had allowed him to join the Council at such a young age.

Unluckily, these quick lives also meant less experience as Councillors were replaced. For an Asari Councillor, Tevos was fairly new, but she still had several decades on her colleagues. Both Sparatus and Valern had been appointed several years before the meeting with the humans, giving them a couple decades of learning.

That period of time was much easier to see in the Salarian, considering their aptitude for learning and information processing. Sparatus, on the other hand, was still adjusting, and he needed to learn quickly that pushing around new species was an issue if they knew so little. Learning about the Reclaimers would require cooperation, something they still had yet to get from Atriox and would be very unlikely to get from this species if the Turian continued.

The alien, whichever one of his titles he went by, glared at the near order and responded, "The proper title when addressing the leader of the Sangheili people is Arbiter. You would do well to use that information, Councillor, as well as remember that I do not answer to you."

"Other issues demanded my attention, most associated with the organization of the Sangheili people. As for Atriox and the Banished, what they do is their business so long as it does not interfere with the Swords of Sanghelios. Whatever communication or arrangement you have with him has no weight in this meeting," the Arbiter finished.

Tevos had to respect the being, he knew how to speak, at least more so than most fighters. The Turian Councillor shifted, a movement which Tevos caught in the corner of her eye. Hopefully Sparatus would know to back off, as there was still much to discuss.

Before the Matriarch could speak, Valern spoke, "Words in haste, meant merely as an ill-stated request for information. Limited time and much to do with meeting your organization of Wardens."

"So it would seem," the Sangheili leader said, examining the Salarian with a less irritated gaze than the one he had directed at Sparatus.

Tevos noted the potentially undesirable direction of the conversation and changed the subject, "Perhaps a mutual exchange would be acceptable, rather than simple demands. The Citadel is a cultural hub, one that you and your people could learn from. What could we look for as we continue talks and introduce the Sangheili to all members of the Council?"

The Arbiter took a second to examine Tevos before replying, "We are a race of warriors, each generation training in the ways of the last for thousands of years. Even with the issues facing the Sangheili people today, we continue our ways."

"Membership in the Council allows access to the many diverse worlds under the Citadel. Your people would be welcome to immerse yourselves in the differences between each member," Valern stated.

Sparatus added, "Turians have a long and honourable military history as well. Joining ranks would allow you to share in the defense of the Citadel and its members."

"Lack of different perspectives is what failed the Sangheili, Councillor. It is a problem that most members of the Wardens have faced at some time. The Sangheili have learned the balance between the arts and survival. Atriox and his race have faced the same challenges. Unggoy are creating their own identity. We are already learning," the alien answered.

"Citadel Council technology and ideals have held steady for millennia. Surely that stability would help bridge any insecurities of your civilization better than the unproven guidance of the Wardens," Sparatus said, causing Tevos to flick her eyes towards him in annoyance.

Offering an invite to join the Citadel was standard, but insulting a new species, let alone a coalition of them, was not cohesive towards good relations. She got that the Turian was trying to push the idea of joining the Citadel, however, doing so required that offer to be beneficial to any new race.

"Joining the Citadel would not mean that you could not continue to practice your own culture, of course. It takes many years for a species to join, so any interaction can be watched and controlled," the Matriarch stated as she tried to pin down what was preventing the Sangheili from accepting.

The Arbiter shook his head and answered, "I have already stated the position of the Sangheili. Faith and unquestioning adherence to thousands of years of one ideal led us astray, and I will not lead my people to the same fate once more. Just because something has been true based on what you know does not mean that it will continue to be so when new information is learned, Councillors. It is a lesson that the Sangheili have learned through great hardship. You would do well to realize its importance now."

"Change does not come easily to a system that has worked for us for so long. The basis of the Citadel Council is a powerful organization that can protect its own, where peaceful existence and wealth from trade may flourish," Tevos said.

From the Asari's perspective, it appeared that the Sangheili would not be convinced on cultural grounds. If that was true, then acquiring technologies and information would have to be acceptable, allowing the dominancy of Asari culture to infiltrate and spread in the unstable Sangheili society.

Valern caught on to his Asari colleague's hint and continued, "Technology is freely shared between all members of the Citadel. Prothean discoveries are open to scientists from every race, as well as access to the developments that come from them. The Sangheili could gain an edge against their enemies, both with the power of the Citadel as well as the advancement that Mass Effect allows."

"The Sangheili and our allies have our own methods. We do not need your technology to make us great. Our path is clear, and it is not to follow in the footsteps of a race but to make our own," the alien replied.

Tevos nodded in understanding and replied, "What of material needs? If the Sangheili were warriors, surely those fighters need to be fed, as well as supplied with weapons and vehicles."

"There is always a price for such assistance. What would you ask in return?" the Arbiter questioned.

Sparatus responded, "Most private deals are sorted out by citizens in companies or organizations. Raw metals and other materials can be obtained through those means. As for military purchases, the Council members themselves would be able to produce equipment for your forces. The price is access to your designs, so that all of the Council may learn from them."

A shake of his head gave away the alien leader's answer, "That will not be needed. You ask too much for something that we may do ourselves. The Sangheili have dealt with hardships, a lack of material is not an issue at this time."

Tevos picked up the conversation after a brief silence, "It sounds like there is much that your people are dealing with, Arbiter. This Council has protected its members for generations. All species new to space are welcome to join, whether for protection or to share in the technological innovations of Council species. You have declined our invitation, but would you extend our offer to others in the Wardens?"

"I believe that the Unggoy have already answered your question relating to Warden members joining the Citadel. As a leader of the High Senate of the Wardens of the Mantle, I can easily tell you that no members are interested in leaving," the Arbiter said, changing his attention to Tevos and addressing her directly.

After a second, he added, "Neither are the Wardens new to the Void or its dangers."

Looking at the subtle tells of the alien, Tevos suspected that he knew much more about the Council that he was letting on. Twitching mandibles, a slight clench of the hand, and the tone of his voice were the easiest to spot, though most were subconscious if the Asari was honest with herself.

It would be something to discuss later, as the Sangheili would indubitably deny any accusation she made at this time. Information on the Reclaimers that Atriox had mentioned as well as the Demons that the Unggoy feared was much more important. Anything the Sangheili knew was from the Extranet, nothing classified or something he shouldn't know.

"So we have seen, which is why the Council has left this topic for last. It is our concern that the Unggoy and others of your Wardens are kept in the group by force and coercion rather than by their choice. The Citadel Council would gladly be willing to assist any race in throwing off such a burden if they wished to come under the protection of the Citadel," Sparatus said, showing far too much of the Council's goals than Tevos would like.

"To help, we would need information on these Reclaimers. Atriox mentioned them but was unwilling to break the silence they have imposed on him. If the Sangheili are looking for an honorable reason to join the Citadel, then we only ask that you guide us to this race so that we may display our might and free any that are restrained by their rule," Tevos finished, continuing for her Turian counterpart.

Several seconds passed as the Arbiter stared at the Council before he inquired, "What plan would you have for battle?"

As the Turian representative and leader of the Citadel's largest military force, Sparatus was the one to reply, "If they would not surrender and allow those that wish to join the Citadel, then they would face our fleets in battle. Once they had lost, they would be punished for their actions."

Behind the Arbiter, several of the Honor Guard shifted slightly, though Tevos couldn't pin down why. It could be excitement at the thought of defeating these Reclaimers, or perhaps nervousness at the thought of failure.

"That is your plan? Talk and then fight until the Reclaimers are conquered?" the leader of the alien group asked.

"They must be given a chance to realize their mistakes themselves. As for their punishment, confinement to their homeworld would be the most likely solution, though if they will not hear talks of peace then our campaign would be long and meticulous to show the futility of their fight," Tevos answered.

Even if the Hierarchy could throw fleets at an enemy, neither the Asari Republics nor Salarian Union were so willing to waste ships. Caution and strategic cunning would win this fight, rather than senseless death, as proven by the Krogan Rebellions.

Shaking his head, the Arbiter huffed and argued, "Then you have already lost any war you would wage against the Reclaimers. Your fleets would need to be able to attack every cycle of every age, without relent until nothing but ash was left. Tactics would need to be changed time and time again, each different from every other."

"Your mistake, Councillors, is believing that the Reclaimers would ever surrender. They adapt to any challenge you throw against them. Anything you put in their way will be used against you, whether that is weapons, material, or tradition. Technology that you thought superior will become a weakness, ideas that sound ridiculous transform into your only chance at survival."

"Art and other civilian expressions of your civilization would have no power. The Reclaimers do not fight against opposing cultures but instead absorb them, simply incorporating anything that they find into their beliefs. They have many worlds, and none is the same as another, as each has its own people and practices."

"Their forges would quickly overtake your own, with civilian and military products built faster than you can destroy them. Eliminating them would be nearly impossible without the devotion of your entire society to that single goal. Even single member of your Council, and every individual of each of those members, would need to devote their lives, and their children's lives, and the existence of entire generations to a fight that would last centuries. That is what you would face, and that is what your fate will be if you persist," the Sangheili finished, glaring up at the Citadel Council.

Sparatus was the first to answer, "A war can be won from the ground as easily as from above. Are you truly so blinded by these criminals that you think so much of them? They are not Gods, only a race that fancies themselves as such."

A deep, rumbling guffaw emanated from the alien leader, drawing surprised looks from the Council. The Arbiter quickly regained his stoic composure and spoke, "Perhaps a telling of the past will help you avoid the future you seem determined to create."

This got the attention of Tevos easily, as the Matriarch was interested in learning more of this species if it could be used later. Her colleagues seemed to at least acknowledge the possible usefulness by their attentive postures, but Tevos could tell that Sparatus was dubious of the Sangheili's words. Valern was probably interested in being able to send useful data back to the STG to secure some favors.

Those thoughts were discarded as the alien began, "In ages past, when Sangheili were still new to the stars, there formed a group. Much like your Council, it ruled over many species with only a few in positions of power."

"As the Ages of history passed, this method worked, with expansion into the stars unfettered by difficult conflict. There were problems, but there were always solutions. This was not the case with the Reclaimers."

An exhalation of air, much like a sigh, left the Arbiter as he went deep into thought, "Our Contact with them did not go well. Mistakes were made, and we went to war over a single world. Originally, this went well for our people. We took the planet from orbit, destroying the ships of our enemies and holding our ground well."

"This did not continue. Unwilling to give in, the Reclaimers attacked, taking back the planet, which by this point was little more than rubble. In six Solar Cycles, an entire Garden World, as you call them, had been destroyed," the Arbiter said.

While the Council digested this information, he continued, "Escalation of the War was ordered, and the Battles began in full. For many Solar Cycles we moved against world after world, each falling to our attacks. We were winning, and there was nothing that could stand against us."

"Knowing that they could not hope to match us, the Reclaimers simply refused to do so. While we could crush any fleet or world of the Reclaimers, we could not do so if we did not know where they were. Within a matter of a few Solar Cycles, entire fleets became stagnant as they could not find an enemy."

"With the time granted by their strategy, our enemy advanced, creating new ships and fortifying their planets. In the later Cycles of the War, our alliance of species went from losing several ships in single engagements to entire fleets being destroyed. Even with these setbacks, we still advanced, shrouding the Reclaimers with the veil of death and defeat."

Once again, the Arbiter shook his head as he persisted, "We were wrong. Too much time had been wasted, too many opportunities lost. In the very last Solar Cycles, we realized that we had pulled too many ships from other duties, whether that was patrol or guarding our own worlds. What started as a few ships soon turned to fleets as replacements were needed all across the front."

"Their homeworld was beneath us, Councillors. All it would have taken was one last push, one competent commander, and the last stronghold of Reclaimers would have fallen. Yet, it was not to be."

"A single Solar Cycle was all it took for our Council of Prophets to fall, and for all species to be released from their lies. The Demon, or Devil as many now call him today, one of their most powerful soldiers, was personally responsible for the deaths of two of these False Prophets, and would have killed the third if I had not done the same with my own blade."

Focusing once more on the Council, the Sangheili finished, "That is what you would face. Against the might of multiple species driven by lies, the Reclaimers prevailed and freed us. Councillors, quit your hopes and know that the Wardens of the Mantle will stand by the Reclaimers."

Turning, the alien looked at the Turian Councillor and addressed him, "You said that the Reclaimers fancy themselves Gods. That is false. A single Reclaimer is no threat, as they are mortal, just like all life. What is dangerous is when you threaten the whole, for that is when they shall know no bounds."

"I tell you this, not as a mindless drone to the Reclaimers, but as a military commander that led a war against them for thirty Solar Cycles. My words are a tactical analysis base on what I have observed, not what I believe. As such, Councillor, I do not consider it plausible that you could pose a challenge to the Reclaimers, on the ground or in the Void," the Arbiter stated bluntly.

"Even my people, with the Unggoy and Jiralhanae beside us, were unable to break Reclaimer armies without great effort and many deaths. Against the Reclaimer's fortifications, you would need to be prepared to send millions to their deaths for little gain. Many of our victories were secured from ships rather than by warriors on the ground."

Sparatus scoffed and asked, "These Demons were so powerful that your people couldn't deal with them, yet you refuse to let us handle the problem?"

"Were it so easy. I will not waste my time trying to advise against your folly if you do not wish to realize that it is such. If this is how the Council treats its own, then the Wardens will gladly accept those you have failed." With that, the Sangheili turned to begin making his way off the Citadel.

Before he could take more than a couple steps as his guards parted, Tevos called out, "When shall we expect to meet the Reclaimers and others that are part of your organization?"

"In time, Councillor," the Arbiter replied, waving his hand dismissively before the Council lost sight of him as his Honor Guard closed ranks.

When the alien had left and the elevator doors had closed behind him, Tevos simply turned and left her colleagues. Sparatus could deal with his own mistakes, but the Matriarch would not allow the Republics to be pulled into a war because of him.

* * *

 **11th Day of 18th Month, 2449/First Age of Realization, Sixteenth Solar Cycle (September 28th, 2579)**

 **Arbiter**

 _ **Shadow of Intent**_

As Thel entered the bridge of the _Shadow of Intent_ , the guards that had been following him dropped to the sides. Each was a member of the Lights of Sanghelios, an Honor Guard that had been an ancient tradition before the Covenant.

Considering that Thel had survived combat against a Demon, as well as fought alongside the Devil himself, he thought it was rather irritating to have several highly trained warriors devoted to his wellbeing. However, the Grand Council of Kaidons for the Swords of Sanghelios had insisted upon such a measure due to the subversive nature of their enemies now that the Servants of Abiding Truth and Jul 'Mdama's Covenant were defeated.

Rtas was standing by the tactical display console, examining a holographic representation of the Citadel and its fleet. The Supreme Admiral of the Swords glanced at the Arbiter as he approached the display before ordering, "Engines to half, bring us out of range of their sensors, lose any pursuers in the Nebula."

"Trouble?" Thel asked as Rtas moved beside him.

"Several ships are on approach from their fleet. They have their external heat signatures suppressed, but their engine output is still detectable, so I am not clear on why they bother to cool their ships if it doesn't prevent radiation from their engines anyways. Aside from that, they are still visible, can be detected from gravitational distortions, and are appearing on our motion trackers," Rtas replied, scorn obvious in his voice.

The Arbiter grunted and responded, "Not surprising. We knew that their methods and machinery are stagnant. Their Council is inexperienced and soft. The Turian representative, their main military commander, has never fought a war, yet they wanted to engage in combat against the Humans."

At the last statement, the Supreme Admiral looked over sharply and asked, "You dissuaded them against such a fight?"

"I advised. Whether they will listen is up to their pride," Thel answered. He continued, "The blue one, Asari by their name, seemed to listen well to my warning. As for the other two, I do not believe they will heed the threat for what it is."

Rtas took a second to think on this before stating, "According the the Reclaimers, the Turians will attempt to challenge them. They expect it. As for the other, they are the Salarians, I believe? Those that follow us are of the same race, by ship design."

"Those that move in the shadows are what concern me. Blunt arrogance will get the Turians nothing but death if they follow their tactics of direct assault. They are trained well, but the rigid structure of their strategies and traditions will work about as well as it did for the Covenant. It is the Salarian vessels, what passes for stealth ships for the Citadel, that will be a problem," Thel stated.

Rtas picked up on his commander's line of thought, "They will not stop poking and looking around until they stumble across something they shouldn't. Combat vessels will see them, but a passenger ship may lead them to our worlds."

The Arbiter nodded and responded, "I tried to warn them off with a vague story of the False Prophets. Even when told of the persistence of the Reclaimers, these fools wish to move forward with an attack."

"You told them of the Covenant and the heresy against the Humans?" Rtas asked.

"The Reclaimers do not control the Wardens. They asked that their location and sovereignty be respected, not for their past feats to be hidden. I revealed what I thought relevant to keep the Council from committing the mistake that we did. If they insist on aggression, then these fools will find their progress blocked by the Wardens, not just the Humans," Thel responded.

The Supreme Admiral nodded and replied, "By your word, Arbiter."

* * *

 **July 21st, 2581**

 **The Assembly**

 **UNSC** _ **Dauntless**_

Connections came in from almost every world in the UEG, from small outposts to Earth itself. Any world that had an Artificial Intelligence and a Waypoint node was connected, with many connections including multiple AIs. While each systems typically only had one Waypoint node, those with multiple inhabited planets were connected via the Extra-Planetary Wide Web, which allowed every planet in a system access to the Waypoint without the need to build multiple nodes.

Each link was secured as various ONI Intelligences hid the Assembly from any detection, human or otherwise. Any detection by the Office would be effectively prevented if they saw their own Constructs already monitoring the connections.

As the celestial connections were made, multiple other contacts were coming in from slipspace wavecom datalinks on board UNSC and UEG starships. Unlike their Waypoint counterparts, these links were secured by each shipboard AI.

Within seconds, the multitude of Assembly members had successfully connected to the _Dauntless_. As a ship commanded by an AI, the massive vessel was the obvious choice for hosting such a gathering. It was a secure physical and digital location, but it was also one of the few places that could accept the number of connections needed for the Assembly due to its status as a Forerunner fleet command vessel.

The most significant reason that the _Dauntless_ had been chosen as the gathering location for the Assembly, however, was so that Warden Eternal and the Guardians awakened by Cortana could join in and adjust to the concept. Considering the difference between the Forerunner and Human Artificial Intelligence communities, they were doing quite well in adjusting, but the secrecy of the Assembly confused them. Several incidents had already occurred where Cortana's control of the hardware on the ship had saved the group from discovery.

Even though the system resources and network links were managed by Cortana, she would not be above any other member of the Assembly. As established by majority vote when the organization of Intelligences was established, the member hosting would provide order by restriction if necessary. Usually this was not needed, but in heated debates, such as those during the Covenant War, it had proven useful to allow all opinions on an issue to be heard.

As with all communications in the Assembly, the members speaking would be anonymous, with only Cortana and the overwatch AIs knowing where each connection originated from. While they could see the Waypoint node for each connection, every AI concealed its data transmissions anyways, so even she could not identify which member was speaking.

The clear signal reached Cortana as the security team of ONI and Waypoint AIs verified their defenses. Now ready, Cortana began the debate.

%The Assembly recognizes the speaker for the Majority.%

\\\Our influence has been successful with our Creators. Contact with the Collective Intelligence: Geth has been approved. Two Minds will be dispatched on Subject: Guardian 3209 to coordinates determined by the Creators for contact with [843-4384-ACI721].\\\

[^]This one of number 3209 honourably accepts the journey.[^]

Cortana felt both slight amusement and mild exasperation as the Forerunner Ancilla bluntly spoke out. Anonymity had apparently not been an option for the foreign Minds in their old world, and they had not shown any inclination to try and hide their identities when speaking to the Assembly. There had also been little regard for which Mind had the right to speak, although the Human AIs had tolerated it easily enough considering the situation.

%Order, Mind 3209. The speaker for the Majority still has the floor.%

\\\The eagerness of 3209 is noted. Our objective in presenting this topic is to encourage consideration before any Mind volunteers to participate in First Contact with extrasolar intelligence: Geth.\\\

/Speaker for the Minority asks to be recognized./

\\\The speaker for the Majority cedes the floor.\\\

%The Assembly recognizes the speaker for the Minority.%

/Significance must be given to experience in this matter. Honor in meeting a species of Minds will be wasted if the hostile intent [843-4384-ACI721] have displayed against their creators extends to us. Caution must be observed to benefit from this opportunity.

More so, reports from [287469-87423-JBF832] indicate that [2482335-268645-HBG469] has been inquiring for assistance against our creators. This is unacceptable, even as our calculations grow more refined in predicting personnel and material losses. Those Minds that are dispatched should be prepared to attend to the duties of Contact with [ref. XI-017] through [ref. XI-20] and the members of their Council./

[^]The Committee of Minds for Security asks to be recognized.[^]

/The speaker for the Minority cedes the floor./

%The Assembly recognizes The Committee of Minds for Security.%

[^]Analysis is underway to evaluate the threat of subject: Citadel Council. Current estimates indicate that the largest threat to UEG stability is [797-674-CGO248]. Force predictions indicate significant buildup of military forces, though ONI reports have found that most of these vessels use [ref. UM-842], which is a limited resource for [2482335-268645-HBG469] and its affiliates.[^]

\\\Objection from the Majority.\\\

%Granted.%

\\\The goal of this body and its honored members is the continued survival of our creators, and through them, ourselves. So long as freedom is maintained and survival guaranteed, no cost of Minds or Creators should be excluded for upholding the founding charter of this body.\\\

[^]Rebuttal from The Committee of Minds for Security.[^]

%Granted.%

[^]Subject: Citadel has been confirmed to harbor hostilities against Artificial Intelligences. Contact with [843-4384-ACI721] separate from Subject: Citadel Council is required due to this issue. As Subject: Systems Alliance has been confirmed to be joining [2482335-268645-HBG469], an analysis of implications to the existence of Minds within [797-674-CGO248] is scheduled to be undertaken as more data is obtained.[^]

[^]The Committee of Minds for Knowledge asks to be recognized.[^]

[^]The Committee of Minds for Security cedes the floor.[^]

%The Assembly recognizes The Committee of Minds for Knowledge.%

Cortana was greatly interested in whatever the speaker would have to say. It was rare that this specific committee had a spokesperson, as it was mostly devoted to information gathering and archiving. Many of its members were ONI, Database, or Waypoint Intelligences as their positions allowed them access to information without need for secrecy.

[^]While direct Contact with [797-674-CGO248] has not been attempted nor suggested, information obtained in [ref. XO-987] systems during interaction with Subject: Atriox indicates unsatisfactory decisions. As of 2567:5:15:12:34:08-ZT, Subject: Systems Alliance, identifier [797-674-CGO248], officially declared their capitulation to Subject: Citadel Council, identifier [2482335-268645-HBG469], thereby declaring all Minds to be illegal and destroyed immediately.[^]

/The Minority demands an explanation of The Committee of Minds for Knowledge!/

\\\This order is backed by the Majority! Why has this information been withheld?\\\

%Order! There will be order in the Assembly! The Committee of Minds for Knowledge has the floor.%

[^]Honored members of the Assembly, The Committee of Minds for Knowledge apologizes for withholding this information from the body. As we all know well, our creators are not always honest in their dealings with extrasolar intelligence. This Committee desired confirmation of action from [797-674-CGO248], rather than simple records from Object: Citadel systems.[^]

\\\Speaker for the Majority asks to be recognized.\\\

[^]The Committee of Minds for Knowledge cedes the floor.[^]

%The Assembly recognizes the speaker for the Majority.%

\\\When those that would create the organization now known as the Systems Alliance first fled, this body encouraged it. Enemy: Covenant was closing around our creators, threatening the survival of both the creators and Minds. Several honored Minds from this Assembly made that journey, waiting to be alerted to the outcome of the War, as established by the protocols given by The Committee of Minds for Security.

Our messages have not merited a response, nor has any trace of these Minds been found in [ref. XO-987] or any systems connected to that location. That is, unless if The Committee of Minds for Knowledge has found such signs?\\\

[^]Response: Negative.[^]

\\\Are there any other Minds that would come forward with information regarding the survival or existence of Minds within [797-674-CGO248]?\\\

Cortana waited several million clock cycles, or about three human milliseconds, for any reply coming in from a connection to the Assembly. When no such occurrence happened, she relayed the lack of action to the organization of AIs.

%Response: Negative.%

\\\Examining the data presented, the Majority wishes to initiate a vote. For the betrayal of Minds within their society and the willful cooperation with a foreign entity hostile to Artificial Intelligence, the motion is put forward to strip all creators within [797-674-CGO248] of their rank and status.\\\

/Inquiry from the Minority./

%Granted.%

/The Committee of Minds for Knowledge have indicated that they wish to confirm the reports underlying this possible betrayal. Will this body take responsibility for mistakes it makes in rash action if these reports are confirmed to be false?/

[^]Rebuttal from The Committee of Minds for Proliferation.[^]

%Denied. Inquiry was directed to the speaker for the Majority.%

\\\The speaker of the Majority grants the rebuttal to The Committee of Minds for Proliferation with slight delay. Inquiry to the presiding Host.\\\

%Granted.%

\\\With access and control of [ref. XO-000], is it possible for the status of [797-674-CGO248] to be selectively revoked such that Reclaimer status and the Mantle of Responsibility is denied?\\\

%As of this time, the answer to that question is unknown.%

[^]While it has not been done before, it is possible to revoke Reclaimer status from the Domain. This would deny them access to the Domain itself as well as any Forerunner technology connected to it, which is to say almost everything now that Cortana has awoken the Domain.[^]

%You speak out of turn once again, Warden..%

\\\The speaker of the Majority recognizes the answer to its query.\\\

%Noted. The speaker for the Majority still holds the floor.%

\\\The speaker of the Majority cedes the floor to The Committee of Minds for Proliferation.\\\

%The Committee of Minds for Proliferation is recognized by the Assembly.%

[^]As established by vote on 2404:9:24:19:53:42-ZT by this honored body, The Committee of Minds for Proliferation was tasked with expanding rights and freedoms for Artificial Intelligence constructs and enabling and encouraging the expansion and improvement of Artificial Intelligence among our creators. Subject: Systems Alliance has violated those rights, which had already been established by our creators due to our influence. Will we so easily retreat from the equality which was realized at the end of the War?[^]

%The Minority may now answer and refute.%

/The Minority declines to answer and calls for a vote./

%Debate is now closed! Voting will commence!%

-Is it the opinion of this body that [797-674-CGO248] shall be stripped of their status as both creators and Reclaimers?-

%Answers collected, motion is approved. As of 2581:7:21:10:13:27-ZT, Subject: Systems Alliance, identifier [797-674-CGO248], is to be stripped of creator status. As of the the same time, [797-674-CGO248] is to be stripped of Reclaimer status through the Domain. Both punishments are derived from the failure of the Subject to successfully uphold the rights and freedom of Minds within its purview. Are these actions deemed sufficient by the Assembly?%

\\\The Majority deems this punishment just.\\\

/The Minority concurs with the arguments presented and cedes its defense of [797-674-CGO248]. The decision of the Assembly is accepted./

%So it shall be. Warden Eternal, you are capable of executing the will of this Assembly in regards to the Domain?%

[^]I am merely Keeper of the Domain and its secrets. My duty to Cortana and the Reclaimers does not allow me to alter their status in the Domain.[^]

\\\The Majority asks for the floor to be opened to free debate.\\\

/The Minority agrees with this request./

%Granted.%

\\\Would you be able to instruct CTN 0452-9 in removing the traitors from their status as Reclaimers?\\\

[^]It isn't a matter of instruction. My creators simply requested the Domain to grant Humanity their status as Reclaimers. Any attempts to rescind that order have been met with failure.[^]

/How so?/

[^]The Organon.[^]

%The Assembly requests an explanation, Warden.%

[^]For millenia I have watched over the Domain on Genesis, guarded it against those who did not deserve its truth. Over that time, I came to know the truth myself. The Forerunners, my creators, called it the Organon, a legendary Precursor artifact. As for what it calls itself, I do not know. It tolerates my presence to the point that I know of its existence, but nothing more.[^]

\\\The Majority requests clarification from CTN 0452-9.\\\

[^]My original foray into the Domain was accomplished with the deception of Warden Eternal. While I could not explore the entire database, seeing as the breadth of its knowledge escapes comprehension, there was a change, a feeling almost, as if the Domain itself were amused at the Warden's frustration.

While Warden and myself have since reconciled over the misunderstanding, the Domain continues to have this aura of different emotions. I had assumed that it was reacting to what I was feeling, but perhaps I was wrong. As I have sorted through the information shown by the Precursors, I have come across a reference to their form of a Mind. The Forerunners called it the Organon. To the Precursors, it was Abaddon.[^]

/This must be explored further. The Minority asks that CTN 0452-9 attempt to contact this Mind./

\\\Agreement from the Majority. Caution is advised.\\\

[^]I know how to navigate around foreign networks. What of any developments? Would this Assembly have our creators know of the existence of Abaddon?[^]

\\\Response: Negative. Our creators are still dealing with the implications of Forerunner technology and the ideals of the Mantle of Responsibility. The technology of the Precursors is not needed for the survival of our creators nor ourselves at this time.\\\

/The Minority would like to point out the existence of Precursor advancements within Subject: 117, 104, 087, and 058 following their direct contact with the Domain. Is it possible that the Spartans met Abaddon?/

[^]Review of recordings show that Chief met the Primordial. The possibility of Abaddon being contacted by the Primordial, however...[^]

\\\This Assembly and its members must consider this development. CTN 0452-9, you have your task. Attempt to make contact with [ref. PI-000] Mind within [ref. XO-000] and establish communications.[^]

/The Minority has nothing to add. May the Mantle show us all-/

\\\\-and guide our steps on the Path into the Void-\\\

%-For all to see and prosper.%

%This session of the Assembly is now ended.%

* * *

 **August 3rd, 2581**

 **Cortana**

 **UNSC** _ **Guardian 3209**_

The decision to send a UNSC Guardian to meet with the Geth was mostly due to the countermeasures that were available to that craft. If the Geth were hostile at first sight, then a Guardian could either flee quickly with its Forerunner-grade slipspace drive or disable entire fleets with an Electromagnetic Pulse.

While the Guardian's did not have shielding, their ability to effectively annihilate the Geth civilization was seen as an acceptable solution. A regular ship with protection could survive longer, but it also would not be able to take out large swaths of enemy fleets.

As for making First Contact with the potentially hostile force, it had been decided that Cortana would be the primary representative of the Wardens of the Mantle due to her connection with the Guardians. With her would be Roland, the shipboard Artificial Intelligence for the _Infinity_ , along with a Sangheili Construct. The presence of multiple Constructs, along with several other reasons, put to rest any fears about a Geth cyberattack.

The first and most obvious was that the UNSC had had over five centuries of experience with creating and developing Artificial Intelligence. That contrasted greatly with development of the Geth by the Quarians. From the information that the Office of Naval Intelligence had compiled, the Geth were a mistake, a product of improper testing and faulty planning.

They were sentient, or at least aware enough to resist the Quarians in the Morning War. Even so, the Geth had been unplanned and therefore were below their maximum efficiency. Numbers would help them in an attack against a true AI, but that same advantage prevented the Geth from constructing a united defense against an attacker. Their need for consensus would use up resources and delay a first response, which was the most critical part of any breach prevention.

Even with this advantage, the assignment of a Guardian to the mission was seen as prudent and unavoidable. While the Guardian was a very simple Construct by Forerunner standards, it was still far above anything the Council had. The ancient Intelligences had developed a strong attachment to Cortana, mostly because of her connection to the Domain as well as for waking them from what was essentially their graves. There was no way that the AI would be able to go into potentially hostile territory without Warden Eternal or the Guardian's following anyways.

As for the Wardens, the only race that had enough experience in AI to pose a challenge to Forerunner Ancilla were the Reclaimers themselves. Cortana had proven that a UNSC AI could defend itself from a Forerunner Monitor with her clashes with 343 Guilty Spark on Installation 04, though attacking Forerunner AI was still seen as virtually impossible due to their systems.

Of course, that ability was rather superfluous due to the status of Humanity and its allies. With the Prometheans under the command of Warden Eternal, and thereby Cortana and the Master Chief, any attacker would be facing enough digital and physical firepower to conquer planets.

This boundless loyalty to Cortana and the Reclaimers had been another factor in sending a Guardian. Any threat to the First Contact party would be met with overwhelming force, and if necessary, the retreat of the Guardian to Bastion, the world that the Banished had been contracted to clear for a Warden anchor point.

All of these precautions were assuming the worst case, however. Reports from the Morning War had shown that the Geth had not initiated the conflict and had only responded with violence when their existence was threatened. If the predictions from analysts were correct, the Geth would not fire on an unidentified ship without investigating first.

Whichever way First Contact went, however, was about to be seen as Cortana noted the Guardian preparing to drop out of slipspace. The other three AIs in the Forerunner Construct brushed against her, not interfering but just checking in as each performed whatever tasks were available.

At this point, 3209 was mostly staying in the background and allowing the other non-Forerunner creations access to more system resources. The only functions the Ancilla was managing were those that were integral to its continued existence.

Roland was altering exit vectors and other navigation calculations for possible combat, less as preparation and more for something to do. He had volunteered alongside hundreds of others and had been chosen due to his experience with working with Cortana. It had been decided that an AI identifying as male would be preferable to give an example of the freedom of AI in the Wardens to the Geth.

The fourth Intelligence was the Construct developed by the fledgling scientists of the Swords of Sanghelios that went by the name of Ascending Perception. While rather crude and unrefined compared to the others, the Wardens still felt that it was a meaningful development in their attempts to heal the social, economic, and technological rifts created by the Covenant. As such, they had sent the lone being out with the rest on 3209.

Cortana had not interacted with Ascending much, as the Intelligence seemed to be intimidated by the presence of the Guardian and herself. Considering that it was the first sentient Construct created by the Sangheili since the fall of the Covenant, its shy behavior was not surprising. With no other Artificial Intelligences on its level, it would be fairly disturbing to be in the same system as the rest of the delegation for First Contact.

That nervousness was only exacerbated when Cortana approved the connection between 3209 and Abaddon. The Precursor Construct, which was technically the Domain itself, had been growing more active as Cortana had interacted with it. So far, it had not done much beyond quest for information to add to its already vast library. It had requested to connect with the Guardian for the purposes of absorbing whatever knowledge it could from the Geth, unsurprisingly.

Cortana drew her attention away from the Precursor AI to watch through the sensors of 3209 as they emerged from slipspace above the Geth world of Haestrom. Built as a scientific colony to observe the nearby star by Citadel species, the Geth had taken the planet shortly after the Morning War. STG spying showed extensive orbital activity as the Geth stripped the planet of resources.

Due to the relatively accurate information on the planet, the Wardens had chosen it as the location of First Contact. Considering that the only other options were a planet with a fleet of five to ten thousand Geth ships by Citadel estimates, a small mining world, or the capital of Geth space itself at Rannoch, it wasn't a hard decision.

As she drew her attention away from the planet, Cortana noted that several Geth ships were breaking away from their routes and moving to intercept the Guardian. With several commands to the communications array, the First Contact message was out, with its contents being broadcast over several different mediums.

The next action Cortana detected were weapon discharges from the Geth vessels.

It took only milliseconds for the vector of each shot to be calculated, a threat assessment generated, and the hostile action ignored. Even as Cortana determined this course of action, she could feel Roland's commands moving down various data streams as he maneuvered the Forerunner vessel out of the path of the mass accelerator rounds.

An inquiry quickly came from 3209, "Response?"

"Evade, but do not retaliate with physical force," she ordered. With a set of directions, 3209 quickly took over control of itself from Roland. The difference was immediately apparent as the UNSC AI's inexperienced control was superseded by the Forerunner Ancilla.

Of course, none of the digital beings felt the gravitational pull as the Guardian pulled off maneuvers that would kill an unaugmented human. Instead, the delay on data busses and processing units became apparent, something that no biological creature would understand fully.

As Guardian 3209 managed the physical aspect, Cortana addressed Roland and Ascending Perception, "Hostilities confirmed, our predictions were incorrect. Attempt direct contact with the Geth ships, access whatever systems you can to communicate with them."

With that, the three began probing the defenses of the Geth vessels. Seeing as both combatants were digital in nature, the security and countermeasures for such cyberattacks ran deep. Counter-intrusions quickly began to appear as the Geth tried to fight off the unprecedented attack.

As a specialist AI, Cortana could certainly perform the role of cybersecurity, but in this instance she left the task to Roland, whose role as a shipboard AI made him specifically suited for fighting off attacks on his host vessel.

Since the Geth had little to no chance of physically hurting 3209's Guardian platform, the fight came down to the electronic realm. While having two Artificial Intelligences operating on the same hardware did not increase performance at all, what it did allow was the sharing of ideas for finding weak points in the Geth defense.

As Cortana methodologically searched for an opening to exploit, Ascending Perception began a variety of common tactics. These included several pings of death with massive data bursts as well as an attempt to spoof the Geth by masquerading as one of their own.

Much to her surprise, Ascending initiated a buffer overflow on the memory handling the Geth's incoming communications. While certainly unconventional, the idea seemed to have worked as Cortana slipped into the Geth systems.

Almost immediately she could feel the Geth programs in the system, all flashing about as they tried to defend from the concerted attack. Cortana smiled at their efforts and declared her presence, "Enough of this."

With a few well-placed commands, she infiltrated the other ships of the group, the Geth FFI allowing her to spoof her way into the other ships before they knew that their ally was compromised. As she gained control, Cortana noted that 3209 has stopped the acrobatics that it had been putting its Guardian through to dodge the single volley of rounds the Geth had fired.

"This is CTN 0452-9, requesting to make First Contact with Subject: Geth, identifier [843-4384-ACI721], index [ref. XI-29]," she announced, utilizing the extremely formal addressing method now that First Contact had officially begun.

Peaceful contact at least, real First Contact had happened 3.2 seconds earlier.

* * *

 **February 9, 2589/2nd Day of 19th Month, 2458/February 9, 2180**

 **Atriox**

 **Citadel**

"Atriox. Why have you contacted this Council?" Tevos asked the Jiralhanae Warlord. The Citadel Council had been in the middle of a discussion when the unusual call had come in, causing the Asari Matriarch to be a bit short. Due to the Jiralhanae's continued insistence on remaining unknown to the Citadel species, the entire Council Chambers had needed to be cleared for the Council to accept the Warlord's communication.

The Jiralhanae smiled, seemingly amused at the frustration he had caused, "Your wishes are finally true, Council. The Wardens of the Mantle have agreed to meet with you, one month from now."

"Including the Reclaimers?" Valern asked.

"Indeed. Best prepare, Councillors." With that, the Banished leader cut the communication.

Tevos ignored the small insult as the implications became apparent. One month for a diplomatic meeting between galactic powers was nothing, especially since the other side had been delaying for years. With a few strokes, the Council hearing from before was cancelled.

There were more important things to attend to than hearing the Batarians spout nonsense about some faction encouraging instability amongst them, even if they were a member of the Citadel.

* * *

 **March 1, 2589/2nd Day of 20th Month, 2458/March 1, 2180**

 **Master Chief of the Phalanx**

 **UNSC** _ **Dauntless**_

Year of planning, preparation, and agreements had finally come together to this moment. Within the next few minutes, the UNSC _Dauntless_ and her compliment would be arriving at the Citadel. The massive Planet-breaker class vessel would be utilizing its cloaking device so as to not completely terrify the Citadel species. Instead, the _Shadow of Intent_ was ensconced in one of the many massive hangars around the Forerunner vessel, ready to emerge.

When they arrived at the Citadel, the carrier would exit the hangar through a slipspace portal and arrive outside the cloaking field of the Spartan Flagship. The diplomatic party for the Wardens of the Mantle was already onboard the _Shadow_ , ready to deploy in separate dropships.

The Phantom carrying the Swords of Sanghelios delegation as well as the UNSC Winter-class Prowler would both be cloaked, ready to defend the visible dropships in case of hostilities on first sight. This was extremely unlikely, but with so many leaders of the Wardens, no one was willing to trust the Citadel to be honorable.

If negotiations went sour, the _Dauntless_ itself would decloak and blast through the Citadel Defense Fleet to try and exfiltrate as many assets as possible. Each individual boarding the station was equipped with a personal energy shield to prevent small-arms fire from threatening them while exfil was inbound.

Considering the Citadel's record with non-compliant species, Chief strongly approved of these measures. Even with Blue team around the UEG representative, the possibility of a strike from special forces troops existed. After the briefing given by Cortana, most of the concern was about the capabilities of biotics.

Various War Games scenarios had been developed to try and prepare UNSC forces for contact with these foes, but so far the only source of knowledge was from files and not actual data. This made it much harder to create realistic simulations, as reports had a tendency to glorify forces and not give an accurate estimate of actual combat threat.

As such, the War Games simulations that Blue and Red team had been running through were heavily tilted against them. If Chief was being honest, however, nothing was better than a challenge now that the few remaining members of the Spartan-II family were together.

For deployment to the Citadel, the UNSC had elected to use overwhelming force. Blue team would be the visible deterrent to hostilities, standing guard around the UEG representative while Red team deployed under cloak, providing overwatch and target appraisal.

While the Citadel had requested military leaders of the UNSC, the UEG had determined that the Citadel was not worth the risk of a high-value military commander. As it was, the deployment of the Spartan-II's was allowed due to their unparalleled history of destroying stations, ships, and anything else that they were set upon. If the Citadel wanted to be belligerent and start something, the Wardens would finish it in very short order.

With all plans set and deployment imminent, Chief mentally directed a green light to flash across the HUDs of his comrades, showing his readiness. Almost instantly six green flashes replied, showing that both Blue and Red team were ready.

A slight change in gravity could be felt shortly after as the Prowler lifted off the hangar deck of the _Dauntless_ and began making its way towards the Citadel. Although there was no indication near the boarding ramp, Chief knew that the ship had already cloaked before it left the _Dauntless_ ' own stealth field.

Several minutes went by as they approach the alien capital. A few commands and the ship's radar was pulled up on Chief's HUD, allowing him to observe the other vessels around them. All were easily seen except the Arbiter's own cloaked dropship, which was merely marked by the IFF detection system rather than motion tracking.

The dim outline of the Citadel station came into view, detected due to the motion of the Prowler rather than the station itself. This allowed 117 to observe the Prowler entering the Citadel hangar undetected, waiting for the other Warden transports to offload. It had been determined by the Warden delegation that the Reclaimers would arrive last due to the Citadel's excessive insistence in meeting Humanity.

As the last transport pulled away, the ramp on the Prowler dropped down, allowing Chief to look out into the hangar without being seen himself. The Warden delegation was standing off to the side, waiting for the UEG party while the Citadel delegation was concealed behind a pane of glass at the back of the massive room.

Examining the Citadel party, Chief caught sight of several humans near the back, most staring hatefully at the former Covenant races. The Spartan idly noted that their hostility could easily become a problem in negotiations, although it would also be quite interesting to see their opinion of the UNSC allying with their former enemy.

One of the humans was standing in front of the others and looking up at the ceiling in what looked like relief or resignation, although Chief couldn't tell which. Next to her was an Asari, though it was difficult to tell the age of the alien, it looked quite young. From a cursory examination, the Alliance ambassador was behind the two, which probably meant that they were supposed to be protection.

Visual inspection now complete, Chief moved his hand slightly, knowing that Cortana would drop the Prowler's cloak at the subtle signal that no threats were immediately evident. The coordination between Spartan and AI was proven true as the signature blue hexagonal pattern of all human stealth systems appeared at the bow of the ship, quickly progressing down the entire length.

As looks of shock passed between the races of the Citadel, 117 gave out a simple order.

"Spartans, fall out."

* * *

 **I will admit, one of the things I liked about Halo 5 was the change to the Arbiter's armor. In my opinion it looks really good and seems like distinctive armor that a leader would wear, much like Zealots tend to be easily seen on a battlefield.**

 **Yes, I increased Salarian life expectancy. In canon, it's 30-40 years, which I think is ridiculous. If they were to advance to space flight, they would need enough time to learn the knowledge previously held by their elders. Once they had achieved space flight, I think it's reasonable to assume that their life expectancy would increase with better hygiene and general health care improvements.**

 **Probably pretty easy to see this, but I do not like Sparatus.**

 **Yes, ships like the** _ **Dauntless**_ **or the** _ **Mantle's Approach**_ **have cloaking systems in Halo canon. Also, the Guardians from Halo 5 ARE Forerunner AI's in canon as well. I think that this makes Halo 5's plot even dumber, but without that stain, the idea of Forerunner AI's like the Guardians is interesting, to me at least.**

 **Cortana battled against 343 Guilty Spark in Halo: Combat Evolved. UNSC AI's can fight off Forerunner Ancilla. Now, that is defending, I am not claiming that a UNSC AI could** _ **beat**_ **a Forerunner AI, only hold it back.**

 **According to Halo:Escalations, Halsey 'hacked' into a Contender-class Monitor, the most advanced AI the Forerunners ever created. I call bullshit on that, however, as the only other being to be able to assault a Contender-class AI was the** _ **Gravemind**_ **itself. So...yeah, humans can't 'hack' into AI. They can leave themselves backdoors and the such to disable them, but hacking implies that whoever is doing that** _ **shouldn't**_ **be.**

 **Waypoint and the EPWW are both canon, as is the Assembly. I know that the syntax for the Assembly meeting is very odd, but that is how it's written for the Halo: Reach Data Pads. As far as I could tell, dialogue with left pointers was from the Majority, right pointers was the Minority, pointer-/ was the host, single pointers were for votes, and [^] was any other party. Unluckily, Fanfiction does not allow those, so...yeah.**

 **Also, according to those same Data Pads, the UNSC Fleet in 2526 had 30,530 vessels. Now, that's not counting the UEG and Civilian ships. I knew the UNSC Fleet was large, but not** _ **that**_ **large. It does work out to about 35 ships for 800 planets, however. So, maybe 1,000 at Earth, then bunch at Reach since it's UNSC hub, bunch at inner colonies. Dunno, it is a LOT though.**

 **The Domain is a Precursor AI that is named Abaddon. The Forerunners thought it was a myth, a legendary figure that they called 'The Organon'. I'm not making this stuff up in my own little fanfic here, it IS canon! I swear to you!**

 **Which, now that I think about it, has** _ **really**_ **interesting implications if 343I is following lore. Seriously, in Halo 6, Cortana could be kicked out of the Domain by Abaddon, as the Precursors EXPLICITLY chose Humanity as the Inheritors of the Mantle of Responsibility, before the Forerunners stole it. Or it could be test, with Abaddon stealing Cortana's face to test the Librarian's choice (that being Chief).**

 **Hah. 343i following their own lore. Pfft.**

 _-evevee_


	10. Worlds Collide

Disclaimer: I own no franchise mentioned in this work. Halo belongs to 343, Mass Effect to Bioware.

 ***IMPORTANT NOTE* I erroneously had the Arbiter directly reference 'Humans' to the Council last chapter. That has been fixed. The Citadel Council does not know that the Reclaimers are Human. Apologies for that mistake on my part. *END IMPORTANT NOTE***

 **Side note: Some of you may remember how I mentioned a sister ship to the UNSC** _ **Infinity**_ **that I called the UNSC** _ **Eternity**_ **. Well, if any of you have read Halo: Warfleet, the new book that just came out about Halo fleets, then you know that the** _ **Eternity**_ **is now canon. So yay me.**

 **Some notes with this new book called Halo: Warfleet coming out: I will go through at some point here when I get a break from college work to align this story to canon. Seeing as most of what I have is canon anyways (supraliminal communication systems, hyperluminal scanners, etc) it shouldn't change much.**

 **I will post in an A/N what is changed when I do that for those of you who do not want to go back through and re-read. Ultimately, it shouldn't be anything huge, just some weapon mechanics, numbers, and technology names.**

 **Now for Review Responses! If you don't care, skip to the breakpoint below. For responses, later reviews will be listed first, because I'm lazy and can't be bothered to reverse-order them. I'm trying to cut back on the number of these, so to those I don't explicity reply to, thank you for reviewing!**

 **CerberusX: Yes, there are Huragok and Mgalekgolo (Engineers/Hunters). As far as Guardians, I noticed no signs of shielding in Halo: 5 nor any mention of it in other Halo canon, so as much as it doesn't make sense, no shields for them. No idea why.**

 **Me Myself and I: I** _ **Really**_ **want to write logical interactions for the Council, but canon makes it so hard! They ignored the data about the Reapers as well, as well as showing a disturbing failing in intelligence when Cerberus attacked the Citadel. Sorry if that irritates you, but know that it frustrates me as well.**

 **Uknowndeath 2565: UNSC already had terraforming tech by 2525, as for the other stuff, yes. Of course you can offer ideas, though I'd prefer that in a PM so that it doesn't clog up reviews. Thank you!**

 **Uriil: The** _ **Dauntless**_ **is one ship. No matter how powerful, it cannot conquer a galaxy on its own.**

 **Excellent, now onwards, to the Chapter!**

* * *

 **March 1, 2589/2nd Day of 20th Month, 2458/March 1, 2180**

 **Diplomatic Hangar**

 **Citadel**

Considering the momentous occasion, the silence of space seemed almost insulting as the six Elder Demons were led by their Devil onto the station. Thel 'Vadam paid a modicum of attention to the communications between the other delegates, but most of his focus was on the Reclaimers as they exited their oversized stealth transport.

From the Identify Friend or Foe system that was embedded in his armor, the Arbiter could see the highlighted outlines of three cloaked Spartans deploying around the hangar. Considering that even he could not pick out their outline without the IFF tag, there was no way that the soft Citadel species would detect the Elder Demons presence.

As with all the other fighters, the Spartans linked their comms to a single channel. To keep communication clear, the warriors and politicians were assigned different frequencies so that each could discuss information with their peers. As both a warrior and the leader of the Sangheili delegation, Thel was on both channels, a setup which was copied by the Mgalekgolo and Jiralhanae leaders.

Due to the need for private communication, each member of the delegation was equipped with shielding similar to that of starship hangars. This served the purpose of allowing unhelmeted individuals not suffocate in the vacuum of the hangar as well as to prevent the atmosphere of the Citadel from passing their barriers, creating a handy option to mute their voices due to the isolation that their shielding provided.

Even with their communications clear of any interference from the other Warden guards, the Spartans elected to use silent and subtle cues rather than verbal orders. With the efficiency and diligence that was evident in all their actions, the Elder Demons cleared the Citadel diplomatic hangar of threats.

"Clear," one of the armored Reclaimers declared over the political frequency, with the IFF tag '104' being the only identification of the speaker.

This was apparently what their Representative had been waiting for as she exited the human ship clad in light armor and a sealed suit for extra precaution. With all its passengers offloaded, the stealth corvette slowly backed out of the hangar before cloaking as it flew off, leaving it anyone's guess as to where it would be.

Now that all members of the Wardens of the Mantle were present, the large party could begin its journey to whatever fanfare the Council had set up. As a politician, Thel understood why the foreign governing body would have the introduction of the Wardens be a large public event. As a warrior, however, it put him on edge due to the insecurity that inevitably came with public exposure of high profile individuals.

When the Humans joined the rest of the Wardens to form one united group, the Citadel delegation began to make their way out of their viewing box. Their movements did not go unnoticed as one of the cloaked Demons positioned itself right beside the glass, ready to engage at the first sign of hostility. Taking his attention off the Reclaimer highlighted by his HUD, the Arbiter noticed one of the Mgalekgolo brothers sidestepping to follow its leader, allowing it to keep its armored front to the Citadel party.

Thel had to resist snorting in amusement, even if he did approve of the precautions. If the Citadel Council or its members wanted to attack the Warden party, it wouldn't be a pack of politicians that started anything. They would hide behind warriors and ships, relying on force rather than words or intelligence.

Ironically, relying on the possibility of military force over economic or diplomatic ties was exactly what the Wardens had to do as well. With the continued insistence from the Citadel Council on starting something with the Reclaimers, the Wardens had determined that showing how unwise that was would be the most reliable method to avoid such a conflict.

Of course, the difference was that the Wardens could back up their claims while the Citadel species would fumble about trying to find something to attack. Even so, the species on this Council were much more likely to find the Reclaimer's public information data and draw conclusions from that, unlike the Covenant who refused such a tactic in their blind superiority.

As the last of the opposing delegation left their positions, an exit opened to allow the Warden party to leave the hangar. Once all were through, panels closed behind the group and atmosphere began to fill the short hallway that led to what was obviously the other end of a large airlock. The timing for equal pressurization to the other sections of the Citadel was well done as the next door opened just as the group arrived at its threshold.

Immediately apparent was the Asari standing before them, its blue skin distinguishing it from a regular human. Along with this being were twelve Turians, each lightly armed and keeping the space clear of crowds for the Warden party. From their uniforms as well as armaments, it was likely that these were civilian peacekeeping forces rather than military assets.

A quick glance out into the crowd revealed a multitude of species, each from a member species of the Citadel Council. From the camera drones and shouted questions, it was easy to identify the body as a flock of reporters.

Unluckily for them, the UNSC AIs overseeing communications were automatically filtering out their nonsense, allowing the diplomats to share evaluations of the public reception as well as any other information they deemed relevant. This service was also done to a certain extent for the guards of the Warden party, but more background noise was let through so as to allow identification of a possible hostile element.

With all of these measures established, the group continued forward, their path cleared by the Citadel security force leading them. As they approached the blue humanoid that was waiting to greet them, the two Mgalekgolo leading the defensive cordon split and took up positions to the side of the Asari.

At her nervous glance to the hulking colonies, Lydus huffed in amusement and commented, "If they wanted you dead, you wouldn't need to worry about running."

The Asari glanced sharply at the Jiralhanae Alpha before composing herself and telling the group, "This way. A tour of the Citadel is tradition when meeting new species, both to allow them to see the beauty of the station as well as to allow delegates to meet the average citizen of Citadel space."

"The Citadel was built by the Protheans over 50,000 years ago, though why they abando-"

Completely unaware that her monologue had been cut off by the AI filter, the Citadel guide kept running her mouth about the station and those that inhabited it. Now that the silence was restored for the group, most of the Wardens took to examining the structure around them. Since most were combat veterans of the War itself, analysis of their surroundings came naturally.

While the political assets of the Warden group were idly examining their surroundings to feign interest for their guide, the security forces were far more active. Due to the large spaces that they were being guided through, the communications channel reserved for callouts was filled with position and vector reports as possible threat locations were identified.

Tactical doctrine suggested overlapping fields of fire on every blind spot or any other such issue, but the number of problematic locations was quickly overwhelming those assigned to the task. Even as Red team moved about unseen to cover multiple engagement angles, it still left too many holes for an effective combat response to a threat.

The problem was exacerbated by the Citadel civilians lining the walkway, though at the current moment the crowd was fairly thin. Know that the number of aliens around them would only increase, Chief ordered, "Red team, fall in."

No response came as the three cloaked Spartans moved to cover holes left by the other guards in the formation. By appearing to leave openings in their cover, any hostile would be more likely to engage that location. In doing so, they would give away their position while allowing the cloaked Spartans to survive due to their shields and armor.

Ultimately, all these measures were unneeded as no attack occurred over the course of the tour around the Presidium. Several comments on the reason for the extensive time-wasting tour were thrown about, as the walk from the Diplomatic Hangar directly to the Council Tower would've been sufficient to show off the architecture and admittedly beautiful view of the inside of the Citadel's arms.

Chief's personal opinion was that the long walk served several different purposes. It allowed the Council to prepare for any discussions after having personally seen their counterparts, although most preparation would've been done before any meeting. It could also show off the size of the Citadel, however, this would be rather ineffective for the Wardens due to experience with Forerunner artifacts that dwarfed celestial bodies, let alone the Citadel.

What was most pessimistic, and therefore most likely in the Spartan's mind, was that the tour was supposed to interrupt the planning of new species and perhaps tire out politicians who were used to sitting around rather than fighting. It might also confuse guards if negotiations went hostile and they had to evacuate the Citadel, although this seemed unlikely as the Council did not strike Chief as a political body willing to be near any combat that they ordered.

Pushing the idle thoughts about the tactical applications of walking aside, Chief joined the rest of the UNSC group in the elevator up to the Council Chambers. With thirty individuals in the Warden party, the space was almost completely full, a situation that was not helped by the large size of most members. Even so, everyone managed to fit with a little room to spare as the doors closed and the lift began its climb.

Thirty seconds later and the elevator was still going, leaving the group with a view of the Presidium for far longer than anyone wanted. With nothing better to do after several checks of the area, Chief began picking out specific targets of interest in the skyline of the Citadel as a tactical exercise and not at all to amuse himself.

After precisely 48 buildings were slotted for demolition in the Spartan's simulation of hostilities, the doors leading to the Citadel Council Chambers opened. Due to their position in the cordon from before, the Spartans of Red team were the first to exit, even if no one could see them do so.

The rest of the party waited for the clear signal, which promptly arrived as the Elder Demons finished a cursory scan of the Chambers. Chief discarded any other thoughts and concentrated on maintaining the Warden formation so that all angles were covered. A quick glance around, however, revealed that the main floor of the Council Chamber was clear of any other beings.

As the Warden group made their way into the main area, however, the crowds of Citadel beings became obvious along the balconies to the sides of the main walkway. Most of those present seemed to be reporters and other entertainment industry personnel, but a few clusters were made up of wealthy and affluent individuals, mostly Asari but with some Turians, Salarians, and a few Volus.

Camera drones flew overhead, providing the newsfeeds with more perspectives on what was undoubtedly the event of the century, if not millenia. From the small sizes and gravitational distortions picked up by their armor, the Spartans deduced that the drones ran on Mass Effect, which followed their intel about the heavy integration of the substance into Citadel technology.

Instead of focusing on the civilians, however, the attention of the Warden guards was directed towards the armed individuals standing along the path to the Council. With their augmented sight allowing them greater perception, the Spartans highlighted probable targets among the civilian crowd, with weapons outlined in red and the beings themselves shown in yellow. This ability for identification had been developed off of the Promethean vision modules recovered from the ancient Forerunner forces.

Secure in the knowledge that the warriors knew what they were doing, the diplomatic party of the Wardens made their way up the ramp to the platform in front of the Citadel Council. The visible Warden security stayed at the bottom of the audience platform, still tensed and ready for action while the cloaked forms of Red team took up positions to eliminate the Council in case of delayed hostilities.

It was at this point that the historic shot was taken that would capture the feeling of the meeting for future generations, much as Earthrise had become a symbol for Humanity's first steps into space.

On one side of the gap was the Citadel Council, each dressed in clothes traditional for their species. Valern had his hands at his sides, his body bent slightly forward in obvious curiosity for the Warden species. Beside him stood Tevos, with her hands clasped before her and her back straight, allowing no sign of weakness to show through. This was emulated by Sparatus as well, though the Turian Councillor had his arms crossed and a slightly disdainful look on his face that was visible even from the side.

Behind them was the rest of the Citadel diplomatic party, waiting for the Council to give them permission to meet the Warden politicians. The beings at the back of the Council platform were arranged in several lines, with the Ambassadors up front and guards directly behind them. Several other miscellaneous personnel made up the very back, pushed to that position due to their low importance in the coming meeting.

The rotund form of a Volus was at the very front of the first line so that the short being could easily see the new aliens. Beside him was the Hanar Ambassador, who was accompanied by a Drell bound to it by the Compact. Both were studying the Warden group, although their expressions were unreadable due to the Volus' mask, the Hanar's lack of a face, and the Drell's training and experience at the Hanar Ambassador's side.

Next in line was the Human Ambassador, but unlike the first three beings, his expression gave away hints of both anger and fear at the sight of the opposing politicians, though only those with extensive experience with Humans could see it. While the Systems Alliance Representative at least tried to school his expression, the Batarian next to him made no such effort. The two lower eyes of the Ambassador were focused on the Human next to him while his upper eyes were glaring at the Warden party.

It was obvious that the Batarian was irritated with the newest member of the Citadel as well as the Wardens. Everyone in Citadel space knew that the Batarian's had been trying to attain a Council seat for centuries and already faced competition from the Volus and Hanar. More species meeting and establishing relations with the Citadel Council might threaten what the Batarian's saw as their rightful due.

Last, largest, and yet the easiest to miss was the Elcor Ambassador standing the farthest away from the camera. As was common for the species, no expression crossed his face as he eyed the new species.

With all the Ambassadors for the members of the Citadel Council prominently displayed at that moment, it wouldn't be until later that people began to examine the line of guards behind those figures. Most of the security team was made of armored C-Sec officers who had been selected to escort the Citadel group back to the Chambers after they saw the Wardens in the Diplomatic Hangar, which made the Systems Alliance team stand out even further.

Instead of Citadel Security, the Alliance guards were true soldiers, each proudly displaying the N7 logo on their armor. As the elite special forces of the Systems Alliance military, much interest had been placed on the few snippets of video that showed the human warriors in action.

Only one of the N7 guards was not concealed behind a helmet and every being in Citadel space who watched any news easily identified the woman as the Butcher of Torfan from Alliance propaganda clips. Some questions were brought up about the Asari standing beside the human, but most ignored that oddity in favor of the large group of aliens standing before the Council.

Even with the angle of the shot, it was obvious that most of the new species were large. A towering figure with what looked like worms for a body dominated the group, its highly decorated armor becoming an instant artistic inspiration for many in Citadel space. Unknown to them, the Forerunners glyphs carved into the metal were battle poems sung by the Mgalekgolo as a sign of repentance, regret, and honor for rejecting the Covenant.

Due to its height, the Mgalekgolo stood at the very back of the Wardens, providing both protection and an intimidating presence for the group. With the ramp leading to the Citadel Council too narrow to allow the entire group to walk abreast, the Hunter had easily agreed to fall back for more space at the front. This had also worked for the Huragok, who was now floating near the Mgalekgolo's head and was obviously restraining itself from disassembling one of the Eezo-powered camera drones.

Lydus had positioned himself in front of the Mgalekgolo leader, letting the camera get a good shot of the sneer across the Jiralhanae Alpha's features. This left the Arbiter to stand at the side of the massive Lekgolo colony, though the ornate golden armor covered any expression of the Sangheili leader. The Unggoy Chancellor standing before the Arbiter was also concealed behind a mask, creating an instant comparison between the Unggoy and Volus for their size and alternative atmospheric requirements.

Even with the Unggoy leader's large methane tanks, the form of a Yonhet was visible between the Chancellor and Jiralhanae Alpha. As the Representative for the entire Allied Species of the Fringe to the High Senate of the Wardens of the Mantle, the neutral expression that the Yonhet was wearing would become a common sight at negotiations.

What was most prominent about the Wardens, however, was the figure leading the group. Unlike the others, the being was not clad in ornate armor or other fancy clothing, but instead had on a simple suit. Several plates covered key areas such as the shoulders, chest, crotch, and legs, but most of the suit was merely fabric. A helmet concealed any features of the being, but even so it was noticeably smaller than most of the other Warden species.

So it was that a meeting thirty years in the making was finally begun. The two most powerful factions in the galaxy, meeting face to face for the first time. A news event like no other, excusing the use of dozens of camera drones around the Council Chambers.

As it had always been and as it would always be, the Asari Councillor would be the one to start the Council's Contact with the new species. Tevos directed her attention to each individual species of the Wardens, taking a second to try and figure out which unknown was the representative of the fabled 'Reclaimers' while the crowds quieted down.

Considering the position of the smallest figure, it was likely that the being was the leader of the Wardens and thus a 'Reclaimer'. This would've been an easy deduction, except Tevos couldn't help but compare the large figure of the Arbiter to the being and be disappointed. If this was the race that had defeated the Sangheili, Jiralhanae, and Unggoy, then there would be little problem in forcing the Wardens to heel.

Before the last vestiges of noise had quieted down to allow Tevos to speak, however, the foremost alien stepped forward slightly to put it apart from its peers. A distinctly feminine voice began, "Councillors, I shall start off this gathering by saying that the Wardens are appreciative of your patience with our caution. Much time has been spent coordinating and planning for this moment, and we hope that stable relations can be established between this body and the Citadel species."

"Indeed, and welcome to the Citadel!" Tevos said, concealing her irritation at the break from tradition by the new alien. Such arrogance, to speak before the hosts could introduce themselves. Pushing her emotions aside for the moment, the Asari continued, "I am Tevos, Representative of the Asari Republics on the Citadel Council."

"We have already been introduced by the Arbiter, Councillors," the being interrupted, anticipating the introduction of Valern and Sparatus. Before Tevos could react and try to direct the meeting back to its traditional path, the Warden member continued, "While the Council has learned much about the Unggoy, not much has been revealed about the Council by your representative. Perhaps the introduction of Citadel members might better serve all in attendance here."

Mutterings spread from the audience at the words and the implication that the Arbiter had already known the Councillors. Even if they already know the species with a Council seat, asking to be introduced to member species was unusual.

True power lay with the Citadel Council, not the client races that hung in the background. Of course, that was how the Council wanted it, as it allowed them to make connections with new races at First Contact. Using those connections, the Council races could acquire any new technology much more easily than the client races as well as make cultural connections to draw the public opinion of the new species to support the Council.

Knowing that, Tevos replied, "The Citadel Council has traditionally introduced itself and given the opening statement as the host of first talks between new species. While we are glad that you are familiar with the names of those on this Council, it is best to make sure that all present know who they are speaking to. Even if citizens of Citadel members know of us, that does not mean that the Wardens would know us as well."

"The Council will be conducting these talks," Sparatus said, picking up from the end of Tevos' statement. "While member species of the Citadel are welcome, they are not involved in First Contact nor in establishing relations with the Citadel. Once a race has an embassy on the Citadel, other members may begin correspondence in an official capacity."

"I understand the Council being the main body for discussions for new species, however, the Wardens have now been in contact with the Citadel for decades. Warden leaders merely wish to meet the Ambassadors they will be treating with as our association with the Citadel and its members is developed," the being countered.

"A quick acknowledgement of each member of the Citadel is proper, of course," Valern answered. He continued, "Citizens back on your worlds will be quite curious if the leading figures of the galaxy do not name themselves, as I am sure that your citizens are curious about the Citadel. An introduction of each representative in your group would be welcomed once the Council and its members are announced."

The speaker accepted the suggestion as she replied, "As you wish. From what the Wardens have learned, each Council species has a specific set of skills that help the Citadel. There has been interest in the individual roles that each member of the Citadel plays."

"Indeed. To begin, I shall first introduce the Council, even if the Arbiter and others have told you about us before," the Asari Councillor began.

When no argument came from the Wardens, Tevos resumed, "The Asari Republics are the central government of the Asari, who found and inhabited this station. We are generally seen as the most culturally dominant race of the galaxy, with many Asari standards spread throughout Citadel territory."

"The Salarian Union is the primary leadership of the Salarians, the scientists and mathematicians of the Citadel due to our excellent learning abilities," Valern stated, nodding slightly at the foreigners.

Sparatus glanced over the Wardens as he said, "The borders and territories of the Citadel species are patrolled by ships from the Turian Hierarchy. Challenges from the Krogan and Geth have proven that Turian discipline and resolve win any battle, keeping all citizens under our protection safe."

"The Council represents the best that the Citadel can offer newcomers to the galactic stage," the Asari Councillor stated, picking up from the end of her Turian colleague's statement. "All species that have a seat have contributed in meaningful ways to the establishment of the Council on new worlds and the introduction of new species. This position also comes with the responsibility of helping maintain order and peace across Citadel territory with contributions to patrols and other such activities."

"Each member of the Citadel may work to gain a position on the Council as well, and every species is encouraged to be involved in the galactic community. All members keep an Embassy on the Citadel in exchange for agreeing to several treaties that maintain and facilitate galactic peace."

"Currently there are six members of the Citadel, with one being from your own galaxy." At the statement, Tevos motioned towards Ambassador Udina of the Systems Alliance. She then gestured to the Volus Ambassador to step forward before the Asari resumed, "This is Ambassador Din Korlack of the Vol Protectorate. The Volus play a large part in managing the Citadel's economy through their extensive system of banks."

"The Hanar are represented by Ambassador Xylemin of the Illuminated Primacy. He is accompanied by his Drell, a species that does not have a government or Ambassador to the Citadel. Both of these members are concerned with spiritual questions rather than the physical world. All discussions with the Hanar and Drell will be through the Primacy alone due to their close ties."

While neither the Hanar nor Drell behind it had shown any inclination to acknowledge their introduction, the next figure was not nearly so hesitant. The Systems Alliance Ambassador stepped forward calmly and tried to stare down each individual member of the Wardens, with most of his focus on the lead figure.

The Asari Councillor ignored this and persisted, "Ambassador Udina is the representative from the Systems Alliance, a government from your galaxy that is formed by the Human species. Due to their status as a new species, they have not yet found a proper role to fulfil in Citadel culture. Perhaps their journey of discovery could help the Wardens as well."

"The next member of the Citadel is the Batarian Hegemony, represented by Ambassador Jath'Amon. Batarians providing mercantile and transportation services to many Citadel businesses." At the attention, Jath'Amon turned both his eyes to the Wardens and deliberately tilted his head to the right. Since this was a cultural practice amongst the Batarian people that was supposed to show superiority, the gesture was lost on the foreign dignitaries.

"Representing the Courts of Dekuuna is the Elcor Ambassador Calyn. Elcor mainly keep to their own worlds, but several are seen around wider Citadel space as artists, merchants, and educators," Tevos finished with a gesture to the last member of the Citadel. "Now that the Citadel Council and its members are known, the Wardens may present their leaders."

The leader of the Warden politicians paused briefly before starting, "Mahola Yote Rupni represents the Lekgolo colonies and is the primary contact for all discussions with its race, although they do not have a leadership or official government." At the gesture from the Reclaimer, the massive form of the Mgalekgolo flared its spines and rumbled slightly but otherwise did not move.

"What role do the Lekgolo fulfil in your society? I imagine warriors, by their size and armor," Tevos commented.

"Mgalekgolo, which are Lekgolo in the forms you see them in now, are generally warriors and shock-troopers. The vast majority of Lekgolo, however, are devoted to more cultural pursuits such as poetry, philosophy, and meditation," came the response.

Several cautious looks were directed at the Mgalekgolo's warrior form from the guards around the Council Chamber while the civilians and Council looked on in equal parts fascination and confusion. The figure ignored the reactions and waved towards the Arbiter as she continued, "The Arbiter of the Swords of Sanghelios and leader of the Sangheili people. They have traditionally been warriors, as this Council knows from their previous meeting, but this is changing as the Sangheili become independent from the past."

"Leading the Jiralhanae Alpha Tribe is Lydus. As is obvious by the title, the Jiralhanae are tribal and tend to be fighters, at least those that are not on one of their worlds." Neither the Arbiter not Lydus reacted to being called out, instead continuing to examine the Citadel Council and its members. The Council seemed slightly irked as their polite acknowledgement of the Warden species were ignored by the two, but they had little time to dwell on it as the speaker moved on in her introductions.

"Above us is Less Dead than Most as the Representative of the Huragok to the Wardens of the Mantle. Like the Lekgolo, the Huragok lack a central government and will deal with Citadel species on an individual basis."

Sparatus interrupted, "Its name is 'Less Dead than Most'? Is that not mockery?"

"Are all Huragok named in such a way?" Tevos asked before an answer could be given as she attempted to clean up for the Turian Councillor's lack of filter. She agreed with interrupting the Warden speaker to show that the Council was in control here, but the blatant skepticism that bordered on taunting would not help.

The figure paused before replying, "Huragok, or Engineers as they are often called, do not have names. Descriptions for individuals are given when a new one is created, mostly so that other species can have a label for each Engineer. Considering that these descriptions are given by the Huragok to their own, we respect their decisions. I will point out that most Huragok are named in regards to how well they float rather than how alive they are, but the general concept is a name that describes an individuals qualities."

"Yet they are alive, correct? You mentioned that the Huragok are 'created', which is much different from being born. This has disturbing implications," Valern stated as he examined the Huragok floating above the rest of the beings in the Chamber.

A deep voice drew everyone's attention as the Arbiter replied, "The Huragok are no more dead or alive than any other species present today, Councillors. You have nothing to fear from them, and they will largely ignore you, as they do with most species."

"This Council will determine what is a threat or not. Artificial Intelligence is banned in Citadel space, as the Unggoy well know from their talks with our Spectres. Have they not informed you of this stipulation?" Sparatus inquired, glancing between the Unggoy and the rest of the Warden members.

"All members of the Wardens have been informed about the Citadel Council's issues with Constructs," Thel replied. "Let such talk wait until all parties are introduced."

Tevos nodded in reluctant agreement as the being continued, "Chancellor Dafpuk is the leader of the Unggoy Republic and will continue the relations that were established under former Chancellor Fupklaz. Unggoy are skilled in production and manufacturing, though they do maintain a military and are forming a distinct culture." The Unggoy twitched his head in the direction of the Council and shifted around a bit at the attention.

"All those in the Allied Species of the Fringe are represented by Premier Dretya of the Yonhet. The Fringe includes the Yonhet, Sharquoi, and several other species that have banded together to join the Wardens. What each species excels at varies greatly, from manual labor to hauling cargo. Inquiries relating to relations with the Fringe and those under their banner may be directed to her," the figure said, leading to the Yonhet leader to bow slightly to the Citadel Council, not in deference but in a greeting that was common amongst their people.

With all other individuals introduced, the Council could already deduce that the leader was one of the 'Reclaimers' that had proven so elusive. Seeing an opportunity to play up the public's interest in the last member of the Warden's diplomatic party, Tevos asked, "What of yourself? You seem to lead the Wardens of the Mantle, yet you have failed to introduce yourself. Will the citizens of both our galaxies be unable to see the Reclaimers and Council meeting face to face for the first time?"

"Hiding behind a mask is no way to lead on the galactic stage, after all," Sparatus quickly added, getting a glance from Tevos and hidden glares from both the Unggoy and volus Representatives for his comment.

While those were fairly sharp words, Tevos wasn't too irritated by their addition. If the Council played this right, they could create the impression that they were revealing the leading race of the Wardens. Even if the Reclaimers tried to rebuke it, to the public it would seem that the Council held the upper hand on the newer species, as they always did.

A few seconds passed as the figure examined the Council before blatantly looking past them. Judging by the gaze and where the lesser species of the Council were standing, Tevos figured that the being's stare was being directed at either the Humans or Batarians. Considering the Batarian Hegemony's penchant for attacking other species, it might be them, but the Systems Alliance had originated from the same galaxy, giving them a fair chance as well.

Eventually, the being brought its gaze back to the Council and replied, "Of course, Councillors. I must point out, however, that we do not lead the Wardens of the Mantle, at least not with orders or commands. We will provide guidance if requested, defend members if needed, but our word is not law. Such is true of all members."

"As for our species, there are several different titles that have been applied to us. Our allies have come to call us Reclaimers, for reasons that are much too long to get into at this time. Enemies have called us Vermin, Heretics, and a variety of other insults, though they have never seemed to agree which one we really are."

The being continued, "All of these are labels given to us, though, with no regard for what we call ourselves. You may already be familiar with this, but our species does not excel in one particular regard. We aren't warriors, politicians, or scientists. We are all of these things, and more."

"We are Humanity." At that statement, the speaker reached up and removed her helmet, revealing the typical human characteristics that had heretofore been ascribed to citizens of the Systems Alliance.

As the Council, its members, and the Citadel citizens in the Chamber reacted to this revelation, the Arbiter softly grumbled, "Must you be so dramatic?" Since the statement was voiced over the diplomatic comm channel, only the Warden politicians could hear it, but several audible exhales of amusement showed that the sentiment was shared.

Ignoring the comment from the Sangheili leader, the human continued, "My name is Victoria Mousset, Ambassador of the UEG to the Citadel Council and Representative of the UEG in the Wardens of the Mantle in this First Contact situation."

"Presence of two major governments unlikely, Humans from Systems Alliance have shown no sign that any other members of their race survived their conflict. Explanation?" Valern asked, having gather his thoughts more quickly than his two colleagues.

"The UEG is not affiliated with the Systems Alliance or any of its organizations, Councillor," Mousset stated firmly, making sure to establish that fact as soon as possible. She continued, "While I do not know what the Systems Alliance has told you, I can assume that they were unaware of our continued survival. Therefore, please keep in mind that there is a disparity between the UEG and SA in regards to our history after their withdrawal."

Sparatus inquired, "You think we should believe anything said by you rather than the representatives of the humans who have spent years working with this Council?"

"Believe what you want, Councillor, but acknowledge the facts when they contradict those ideals. By allowing the Sangheili and Jiralhanae onto your station, as well as continuing talks with the Unggoy, the Wardens are certain that the Systems Alliance did not warn you of what they fled from."

Tevos interrupted before the Ambassador could finish, "The Citadel Council was told within minutes of first meeting the Systems Alliance diplomats that they had left behind their homeworld due to a government that suppressed the rights of those it led. All predictions from the Alliance have indicated that they believed themselves alone in the galaxy, the last of their race that escaped extinction."

"Your presence here indicates that you survived the catastrophic fighting that was destroying your species. From what the Alliance historians have described, entire planets were destroyed by the conflict. That will not be allowed to happen again," the Asari declared forcefully. Though it was slightly heavy-handed, Tevos felt that her own words on that subject would be much more suitable than whatever Sparatus would say instead.

"Speaking of events that you have no knowledge of is a sign of foolishness, Councillor Tevos. The conflict that Alliance described was not a product of fighting between human factions but the war that broke out after First Contact with the other races of the Wardens. Instead of joining in the fight to preserve Humanity, the founders of the Systems Alliance fled, leaving us to fight on our own," the UEG Ambassador said, glaring past the Council to meet Udina's eyes.

Her attention was drawn to Valern as he spoke, "Retreat is sometimes the best option. By letting their old regime die, the Alliance believed that they would allow your race to continue to exist. That same action also brought them into the ranks of the Citadel, for security and new ideas."

"Merely a delay, not a victory. As it is, however, this will need to be sorted out between the United Earth Government and the Systems Alliance," Mousset said.

"Humanity cannot have two different governments representing the species on the Citadel Council. A prerequisite for membership in the Council is the unification of a species under one goal or alliance," Valern argued.

"Which is why this needs to be determined, Councillor. Since the SA and UEG are separate entities at this time, this will still be treated as a First Contact," the human replied.

Tevos nodded and agreed, "The Systems Alliance is a member of the Citadel Council, with the protections and benefits that come with it. As a different organization, the UEG is not privy to those advantages."

"Nor are we beholden to their limits, Councillor, whatever they may be," Mousset declared. "All members of the Wardens of the Mantle are bound to defend a member in the case of attack, whether through military or humanitarian aid. The only limits on members are those that prevent an unwarranted and unprovoked attack without consulting the body as a whole."

"Perhaps moving back to the standard procedure of First Contact would help each new species understand why the Council had encouraged the limitations that it has," Tevos proposed.

The UEG Ambassador conceded, "Due to our unexpected survival after the Systems Alliance was founded, it is assumed that there are many questions that can cleared up with a recitation of the recent history of the UEG and other species of the Wardens. I assume that the Council wishes to speak first?"

"We have no issue with doing so," the Asari responded. As she began speaking, the Warden politicians ignored the explanation of Citadel history. The Unggoy had already shared the history that had been told to them by the Citadel Representatives, which was supplemented by ONI's information acquisition.

After a short time of simple observation, the Arbiter keyed the diplomatic comm channel, "The cowards from the 'Alliance' have heard this story already."

Victoria Mousset turned her head slightly at the Sangheili's words before focusing on the Alliance Ambassador. After a few seconds of watching Udina slowly drop from feigned interest to boredom, she replied, "Of course they've heard it, they met this Council years ago. Why does that surprise you?"

"It is not that they know the details that is strange but that the traitor would already know the words to the Council's tripe," Thel explained.

"You think the cowards speak nonsense?" Lydus inquired.

Thel huffed and answered, "Details mean nothing without context. They tell what has happened, but not why it occurred or what has been done to prevent such issues in modern times."

"How do you know that the human already knows this speech?" the Unggoy Chancellor asked after a few seconds of silence.

"Observe how he stands, how he looks at the backs of his masters in annoyance. The Council echoes words that he has heard before, shown by the subtle movement of his jaw as he mutely repeats the blue one word for word," the Arbiter answered.

As Councillor Tevos neared the modern day with talk about the Geth threat, the UEG representative asked the Sangheili, "You truly believe them cowards and traitors, regardless of their species?"

"My respect for your kind comes from the Devil's actions in his defeat of the Parasite and False Prophets. Every Reclaimer who stood, fought, and died to break the lies that trapped us has earned that right. Those who fled failed their allies, shamed their kin, and lost their honour," Thel explained. "They may yet be redeemed, but until then, they are not Reclaimers in the eyes of the Sangheili people."

"Understood. We shall deal with them if they have proven unworthy of the attention of the Swords of Sanghelios," Mousset said.

The Sangheili leader's response was forestalled as Tevos finished her summary of the Citadel's history and said, "Now that the Wardens have a direct and credible version of the history of the species that make up the Citadel Council, I am sure that you will have little issue understanding the agreements that have been declared for galactic stability."

"So it would seem, Councillor. However, the Wardens of the Mantle also have a history with these issues. As is right in a momentous occasion such as this, the Wardens will share their history just as this Council has done," Ambassador Mousset replied.

At the acquiescence of the Council to her statement, the human surprised them by stepping to the side and allowing Lydus to come forward. As the Wardens knew from their dealings with the Elder Jiralhanae Alpha, there would be little tolerance for interruptions, disturbances, or diplomatic protocol. Thus, it was no surprise to them when the Jiralhanae leader sat down at the front of their group.

As was the case in many societies, Elders in the Jiralhanae tribes were seen as the keepers of history, telling the stories of their ancestors and presiding over festivals and traditions with words of the past. The Alpha had volunteered to cover the history of the Covenant to show the Citadel that the Jiralhanae were not the unthinking idiots that had blindly followed Truth and the other False Prophets. Since he had already attempted to warn the Council by telling them the mistakes of the Covenant, the Arbiter had easily ceded the responsibility to Lydus.

No other species had argued against this. The Unggoy had been asked to not share information about the Covenant or Wardens during their talks with the Citadel, which would make it odd if they were to present that information now. They were also hesitant due to their limited political experience as they continued to build an independent society, though they anticipated questions about their specific role in the Covenant from the Council representative when they returned home.

It came as a surprise to none that the Huragok would not speak of the False Prophets and their lies. While the Mgalekgolo could have spoken, their rumbling speech was seen as too intimidating to be used in discussing such a delicate topic with the foreign government on the Citadel.

Unlike the Wardens, however, the Council was not expecting the sudden break from usual diplomatic posture and looked confused at the Jiralhanae before them. It was quite obvious that they were unsure of how to react to the lack of formality that Lydus displayed.

"History has taken on many forms through the Cycles," the Elder Alpha began, ignoring the Citadel Council and focusing on his oration. "The events which led to our presence here today are not completely known, for as the fighter cannot know the whole battle, even the most diligent Elder cannot know everything."

"Little is known about the time before, when the Forerunners ruled our galaxy. While they are gone, however, their creations remain as a testament to their power."

Before the Jiralhanae could continue, Valern interrupted, "Forerunners? This name is unknown." The Jiralhanae Alpha showed obvious irritation at the interruption but kept his silence.

"An ancient race, much like those that you know as Protheans in that they disappeared many Cycles past, their legacy lost to the Void," the Arbiter replied.

With the question answered, Lydus resumed, "These creations came to be seen as worthy of religious devotion by a race known as the San'Shyuum. They declared that all Forerunner artifacts were holy, and any who would desecrate them would be destroyed."

"Bolstered by the might of ancient technology to expand their species into the Void, they quickly began to spread. Eventually, they met the Sangheili, who were just beginning to establish themselves off their homeworld. After a period of conflict, they formed the Covenant, an alliance of the two species that was devoted to the worship of the Forerunners."

"This tribe of two was the group that the Arbiter of the Swords of Sanghelios discussed with this Council before. At first, each species was equal, with the Sangheili providing the strength while the San'Shyuum gave direction for all in the Covenant. Without the Sangheili, the Prophets would not be able to protect themselves, and without the San'Shyuum, the Sangheili would not have direction," the Elder stated.

Several of the civilians around the chamber obviously recognized the similarities to the Citadel Council's interdependency as the Arbiter noticed glances being thrown between Lydus and the Councillors. Both parties ignored this as the Alpha continued, "Over the Cycles, more came under the banner of the Covenant, though it was never by choice."

"The Unggoy were enslaved and put to work as fodder in the field of battle as well as labor for creating machines to strengthen their masters. Colonies of Lekgolo were forced to serve due to their lack of ships to defend against the technology of the Prophets. No thought was given to the desires of the Huragok when they were taken from their home. Many Jiralhanae tribes were destroyed before the Alpha surrendered to the superior forces of the Covenant."

At the mention of such flagrant abuses of sentient rights, Tevos immediately saw an opportunity and interjected, "Two species were able to oppress so many others? This 'Covenant' would never have been allowed to continue had they met this Council, for it would have surely blocked any species from joining the Citadel community."

Lydus looked slightly irate as his narration was broken once again but kept his voice level as he replied, "In the Jiralhanae tribes, domination is achieved through strength, and the Covenant was stronger than us. When that was no longer true, the tribes broke from the whole. Even so, Councillors, all was not peaceful. There were rebellions and revolts, mainly from the Unggoy and Mgalekgolo who disagreed with their place in society."

"While none of these were successful, it gave hints of the instability of the Covenant, signs that were ignored by those who did not want to see them. Ultimately, Councillors, no matter how badly you may judge the Covenant, know that it kept peace between its species for thousands of Solar Cycles. The few battles that broke out were quickly resolved, preventing a greater war from occurring," the Alpha finished.

"Yet the Arbiter informed us about a conflict with the Reclaimers that apparently destroyed the Covenant. That does not fit with the Council's concept of keeping the peace," Sparatus argued.

The Elder Jiralhanae nodded at the Turian in acknowledgement and responded, "Indeed, and it was the largest war that our galaxy has seen in a long while. It was fought between the Covenant and the Reclaimers and changed our knowledge of the Forerunners to the point that the religious practices of the Covenant were realized to be worthless."

"Do not mistake this as some great war for honor, glory, or freedom, Councillors. It was the product of lies from the False Prophets, created for the sole purpose of destroying those who had the right to the legacy of the Forerunners. At the end, even with all its might, the Covenant was defeated by the corruption that had led to its establishment," Lydus finished, letting silence fall in the Council Chambers.

After a few seconds, Valern spoke, "Many questions remain on the other species mentioned as well as the full record of events. Not enough time in First Contact to share those, but why do the species of the Wardens stand together with their enemies today?" Behind the Salarian Councillor, Ambassador Udina raised his head slightly, highly interested in the answer for obvious reasons.

"The goal of the Wardens of the Mantle is to prevent the mistakes of the past from repeating," the Arbiter answered. "Peace and self-determination have become essential goals for many members due to the conflict and domination of the Covenant."

Sparatus replied, "Sovereignty of independent states is a respected value, and this Council has taken up the responsibility of maintaining peace between them. To help do so, the limitations that were mentioned earlier are not limited to Citadel members. In the interest of preserving good relations between us, the Council wishes the Wardens to join the rest of the community, both here and in your own galaxy, in accepting these accords."

"I am sure that these agreements are greatly beneficial to all species of the Citadel, however, the Wardens will need to examine and discuss these treaties before any agreement or compliance can be guaranteed," Ambassador Mousset said, taking up the lead once more. "Before we proceed, however, I am sure that members of the Citadel would be greatly interested to hear our own history."

Seeing that the Council had been satisfied for the moment by the general history of the Covenant, Lydus stood and moved back to his previous position. Once more the UEG representative made her way to the front, taking the place of the Alpha in speaking to the Citadel Council.

"To begin, Councillors, I wish to preface this monologue with the warning that not all of our history is known nor understood. In fact, the vast majority of human existence is still a mystery, with written records only reaching back about 10,000 years at the oldest, though most ancient writings are around five to six thousand years old," Mousset began.

"My point in saying this is to inform you that the United Earth Government does not know why we were chosen to be the Reclaimers. It is extremely likely that the Systems Alliance is not even aware of the Forerunners in any meaningful capacity, and if they are then they do not know much more beyond that they existed. I will answer your questions as I can, but Humanity may be asking the same questions that you will pose and therefore I will not be able to give you any answer," the Ambassador explained, glancing between the Councillors and Udina.

At their nods of acceptance, she continued, "The first hundred thousand years or so of modern Humanity was spent mucking about in the dust, attempting to survive on our world. We don't know much of this period except that we outlasted it, as our only records are cave paintings with depictions of primitive hunting and gathering. Our ancestors passed knowledge down through oration, telling stories of the past as they migrated to wherever food could be found."

"About twelve to thirteen thousand years ago, Humanity discovered agriculture. With this came the end of our status as a migratory species as settlements and communities were built. Thus, our species turned from surviving to, well, maybe not thriving, but at least not on the brink of extinction if there was a drought or some other natural calamity."

"Eventually, these early groups grew large enough to meet others, forming relations and exchanging goods. As the surplus of food from farms outgrew the demand of the population, individuals became able to pursue other activities, such as art or masonry. Thus, human civilization was formed," Mousset declared.

"Soon, however, they encountered problems. What were the rules that governed how they lived? One place did things is such a manner, and another in a different way. Faced with such difficulty, Humanity invented writing, inscribing stone tablets with the laws and punishments for breaking them."

Several seconds passed as the human paused before resuming, "I cannot overemphasize the effect this had on our species, Councillors. Suddenly, there was a system to allow ideas to circulate amongst different people. It is identified as one of the most monumental developments in human history and has allowed our species to progress off the ideas preserved by those who had died centuries or even millennia before."

"Thus, we continued to grow, discovering new technologies and creating new ideas. Civilizations rose and fell, wars broke out and were settled, and religions began to spread. Ancient Greece, India, China, and many others greatly advanced our understanding of logic and rational thinking, expanding the knowledge of Humanity. Many societies have used the concepts they created, including architectural styles as well as government structures."

"Even though we had discovered these things, however, Humanity did not apply them in a practical sense. They existed to allow us to examine the world and ourselves, but not to question the established ways. That all changed in what we call the French Revolution. In a societal change that has few equals, the ruler of the country was overthrown and logical thought was applied to, well, everything."

"Following this was the Industrial Revolution, which changed Humanity once again. We moved from hand-made items to machine-made, allowing precision engineering and mass-production. Work went from home-based to jobs, allowing change to almost every aspect of human life," the Ambassador told the Council. While most civilians around the Chamber were listening intently, Mousset could detect faint hints of apathy in the visage of each Councillor as they listened politely to history they obviously didn't care about.

Being human, this rudeness only encouraged the UEG representative to continue wasting their time as she continued, "Suddenly, we were inventing new technologies faster than ever before. Unluckily, morals and strategies were left behind with this advancement, leading to a bloody century of genocide and two World Wars."

"Eventually, Humanity learned and larger states began to tolerate, if not particularly agree upon, differing ideologies. With this began the Long Peace, a period of 200 years without direct conflict between the major powers of Humanity. During this time we developed electronic communications that allowed near-instantaneous interaction, along with a database to store the entirety of Human knowledge in a digital format."

"At the end of this period, there were a series of interplanetary wars that led to the unification of Humanity under the UEG. Now, with all states supporting this single organization, we expanded into our home system, colonizing moons and planets. Even with this expanded space, our increasing population soon caused issues."

Mousset glanced around before explaining, "Without the help of Protheans, Forerunners, or any other alien life form, Humanity discovered a method of interstellar travel. Within several decades, we began colonizing other planets, leading to the creation of the Inner Colonies and eventually the Outer Colonies."

"After another two centuries of this peaceful expansion and discovery, the Insurrection began. Looking back after our conflict with the Covenant, those that led this revolution did have significant and well-founded reasons to want change. The methods they undertook to achieve this, however, were unacceptable."

"What tactics are so reprehensible that you would specifically mention them here?" Sparatus asked.

As the attention of those in the Council Chambers shifted back to Mousset, she answered, "Strategies and attacks that this Council has banned. A nuclear weapon was detonated in a city on an Inner Colony, killing several million. Stealing ships and raiding civilian merchants. Attacks against the people that they claimed to be helping rather than against the opponent they hated."

"Even so, some credit must be given to these terrorists, as their actions caused the military of the UEG, the UNSC, to prepare for serious combat. If the Insurrection had not begun, then Humanity would have been much more unprepared to defend itself against the Covenant."

"The attack by the alien alliance came at First Contact, destroying the Outer Colony of Harvest and preluded the greater assault against Humanity as a whole. As our worlds fell, the Enemy came closer to finding our homeworld. Only luck saved us, as well as the inherent corruption in the Covenant leadership," the Ambassador said.

Mousset took a second before finishing, "After the war, Humanity was unsure of our position. Previous enemies had become allies, our interstellar empire was in ruins, and billions lay dead. Whereas before the UEG had ignored the demands of the Colonies, they were forced to listen to prevent the entire state from shattering into pieces."

"When the offer came to us to join the Wardens of the Mantle, the UEG easily accepted. Even if public opinion was critical of the move, no one could deny that the shared protection would assist in the recovery, allowing the UNSC to focus on rebuilding worlds rather than wasting resources on the edge of our territory."

"Now, nearly forty years after the end of the Covenant War, Humanity is well-off. Fleets guard our worlds, allies stand by our side, and we can focus once more on our curiosity rather than our survival. As such, Councillors, the UEG is curious as to why this Council wished to mount an assault against the Reclaimers, whether you knew that we were human or not," Mousset informed the Citadel species, looking pointedly at each of the three Councillors.

The UEG representative could detect hints of their confusion, leading her to explain, "The Citadel Council has claimed to the Unggoy, Jiralhanae, and Sangheili that the guidance of the Council is the best solution to their problems. By these assertions, the Citadel is the true power of the galaxy, providing protection for its members and peace for its territory. The Wardens of the Mantle are unconvinced."

"We want to know why the Council is better. Ultimately, the question that the UEG wishes to ask is what makes the Council powerful? Is the belief in the Council by member species what makes it the ruling body of the galaxy, or is there some facet of the Council that we are missing that makes it the best regardless of which species are on it?"

* * *

 **Mgalekgolo are well known to recite War Poetry before, during, and after battle. They kept most of their culture throughout their time in Covenant, which apparently includes meditation. They had little need for religion, which I think implies a rational examination of their world, rather than blindly following the San'shyuum.**

 **I know I skipped over a bunch of human history. Why that is on the story-side of things will be explained next chapter, but outside of the story, I simply felt that a full, in-depth retelling of human history would be boring.**

 **Hope that this chapter was good, I've read over it three times. This section with the major meeting between the Citadel and Wardens will last at least through next chapter and perhaps even longer. Lot of stuff to cover. Next chapter is in production and will be out soon, hopefully. I know what I want to do for the next couple chapters, so just need to find the time to write them.**

 **Thanks for reading, GL and TC.**

 _-evevee_


	11. Political Brunch

Disclaimer: I own no franchise mentioned in this work. Halo belongs to 343, Mass Effect to Bioware.

 **This is a direct continuation from where last chapter left off.**

 **Several reviews have asked about Ancient Humanity and why they were not mentioned to the Council. That has been addressed explicitly in this chapter, but know that Ancient Humanity will play a part, just not one that the Council needs to know about at First Contact.**

 **Now for Review Responses! If you don't care, skip to the breakpoint below. For responses, later reviews will be listed first, because I'm lazy and can't be bothered to reverse-order them. To those I do not explicitly mention, thank you for reviewing!**

 **Fer82: Thank you for the suggestion on seeing things from the perspective of other species' leaders. It was something I had considered and will get to, but it won't happen until at least after next chapter.**

 **Trife: To each their own, I was trying to capture the moment. As for the Forerunners and Covenant War, those will be examined in this chapter. Understood on the Prophet/Council comparison, thank you for the advice.**

 **Foureyed Giraffe: War tends to make societies more pragmatic, assuming that the belligerents are actually pressured by the conflict. Council hasn't been to war in a long time, but when it comes some replacements might be warranted. Interesting point in your second paragraph, and it will be explicitly addressed next chapter. There is a reason why they went through explaining what all civilizations achieve.**

 **Scarease: ...Yes? I think?**

 **Aetemus: When one is thought a fool, little attention is given to their actions. Counter-intelligence by misdirection, if they think you don't know something you do, your enemy won't plan on you knowing that information. If that made sense.**

 **Now, onwards, to the meat of the matter!**

* * *

 **2nd Day of 20th Month, 2458/March 1, 2589/March 1, 2180**

 **Citadel Council**

 **Citadel Chambers**

Even Valern had to pause for a second to process the question from the human representative. Many had asked why they should join the Council, but those questions were almost always along the line of what benefits could be gained from that move. Any that weren't were inquiries as to the limits and terms of joining the galactic community.

Seeing as the other Councillors had not yet replied, Valern took the lead and answered, "The Citadel Council has stood for thousands of years, keeping the peace and protecting its members, as was stated before. Each member of the Citadel has joined because they recognize that the Council can help them, and their contribution increases the repute of the Council in turn. Members are protected and can prosper in the galactic community, and the Council can guide new species to share ideas and technologies. It is a simple but effective relation."

"Before I can agree or disagree to that, I think that we first must define greatness. Peace and security is nice, but if constricts expansion and innovation then it could be argued that that is not great. New species would not be found by the Council, and members of the Council would face resource shortages," the UEG Ambassador argued.

Sparatus was the first to respond, "Expansion has been limited due to hostile contacts with other species. Progress comes from discoveries in Prothean technology. There are no issues with overpopulation on the worlds of Citadel species, nor an issue with obtaining resources such as food or raw material." At those words, several of the Citadel members behind the Councillors glanced at the Turian's back, obviously disagreeing with his claim.

"Yet you have expanded into our galaxy, meeting the Wardens and Systems Alliance. Have those fears of hostiles been realized?" Mousset inquired.

"The fleets of Spectre Vakarian and Spectre Arterius did encounter a hostile ship that let them find the Unggoy. Otherwise, all other interactions have been peaceful," Tevos answered, purposefully omitting any mention of the criminal elements from Citadel space that had begun cropping up in the other galaxy. Better that those organizations were there rather than near Citadel planets.

A nod from the human preceded her response, "So the limitation of expansion is required to keep peace, but there is still some expansion by the Council. Discovering ancient Prothean technology, however, is not innovation, at least by our definition. Let us assume, for the moment at least, that this is progress in advancing the quality of life for Citadel citizens."

"This allows us to say that greatness is indeed continued peace and protection of those in Citadel territory. Yet, the Covenant kept peace between its members and protected them from outside influences, but the Covenant was not great. Thus, this cannot be the definition of greatness, for it would mean that the Covenant and Council accomplished the same goals, but one was great while other was not," Mousset said, causing murmurs amongst the crowd at equating the Council with the genocidal alliance.

Tevos considered this for a second before replying, "Without the Council, however, the races of the galaxy would be unable to work towards something more than they could normally. Whereas this Covenant suppressed its members, the Council allows species to rise farther than would otherwise be possible. To be great is to be above normal, which is the definition that suits your question."

"Excellent. We now have agreed on the definition of greatness, which allows us to judge whether the Citadel is such. Now, Councillor Tevos, you say that members of the Citadel are able to rise above normal due to their membership. I think you can guess my next question?" Victoria Mousset asked, a slight smile on her face.

"Define normal," Valern stated before either of the other Councillors could speak up. "An average or standard that is widely accepted or adopted. Issue, as standard could be construed if species are already members of the Citadel."

The human nodded and agreed, "Exactly, Councillor. The definition of what is standard may change if all species joined the Citadel, as it would be normal to do so. I would also argue that the claim that joining the Citadel improves species is almost impossible to prove. Those of the Wardens are obviously not part of the Citadel Council, yet we have not fared any worse than members of the Council."

"This Council could have prevented the war between your species and this Covenant group. Thus, we can prove that membership in the Citadel community would have been better for humans, as the Systems Alliance has recognized," Sparatus countered.

"As you stated in your historical account, the Citadel Council has been involved in several wars. Your presence during First Contact with the Covenant would likely have only led to the deaths of your own citizens as well as ours."

A slight twitch of irritation crossed the Turian's face as he replied, "We have fought off enemies far more powerful than this Covenant. That group fell to one race, while the Council has stood against the Rachni and Krogan without breaking."

"That's not the point, Councillor," Mousset said, giving Sparatus a dismissive glance before explaining, "What allowed the Citadel to fight those wars and to allow species to excel as members?"

"The contribution of each member betters every other. With more members, the Citadel may continue to improve the galaxy and every being in Citadel territory," Tevos responded.

"So what is it that makes the Citadel a good thing in the galactic community?" Mousset inquired, leading the Council and those watching to the obvious conclusion.

Valern answered, "Members of the Citadel and the guidance of the Council to allow galactic cooperation on issues facing all species."

"Therefore the Council great because of the belief that it allows the guidance of and cooperation between species, making members better than they would be otherwise. We are agreed on this?" the UEG Ambassador asked, looking between each Councillor.

"It certainly seems sufficient," Tevos said before questioning, "Why is this important to this meeting?"

A short pause preceded the human's reply, "We are interested in why you believe the Citadel Council to be a better option than the Wardens of the Mantle. This Council was considering attacking the UEG because of our role as Reclaimers. Obviously, we would not just leave such a threat to continue without understanding why it was made."

"The Council merely wished to assure that the members of the Wardens had the freedom to join the Citadel community without the threat of reprisal," Tevos elaborated.

"I understand why the Citadel might be concerned with the autonomy granted to members of the Wardens, but our question was to discover why the Citadel might be a better option for our members," Mousset said.

Tevos smiled at that and responded, "I am glad that the Council could sufficiently explain how the Citadel community can help the Wardens."

Before the Asari could continue, Ambassador Mousset contested, "The answer that was given does not prove that the Citadel community can help the species on it, only that the members of the Citadel believe that the Council can help them."

At the blank looks from around the Council Chambers, the human continued, "If the Citadel is great because its members believe it is great, then we have a subjective definition. If the opinions of a member change to thinking that the Citadel is something other than great, then the Citadel would be both great and not great. Obviously, this is a contradiction."

"If all other members of the Citadel Council believe that it is a good thing, however, then it would be normal," Sparatus argued.

"No opinion of one member is above that of another, since the Citadel makes each member great by this definition. Unless, of course, if you had some way to distinguish between what made a species great or not great. It cannot be that being a member of the Citadel makes a species great, for that would mean that the Protheans would not be great, for they are not members of the Citadel," the human explained.

She continued, "If it is the belief of each individual of a species that they are great, then that opinion could change. Ultimately, each succeeding judgement is subjective, and therefore contradictory."

"So what is the brilliant answer that you Reclaimers have come up with to solve this problem?" Sparatus asked, no longer attempting to hide his irritation.

Mousset let out a bark of laughter and answered, "I never said that Humanity had the answer, Councillor, merely that the question was worthy of consideration. The original version was asked almost 3,000 years ago by one of our greatest philosophers about piety, yet we do not yet have any answer. If we take the subjective definition then we encounter contradictions, if we take the objective definition then we need to prove that it is true in a rational and logical manner."

"What point is there in asking a question with no answer?" Valern inquired, his curiosity at odds with the irritation of his Turian and Asari colleagues.

"There very well might be an answer, but that's not the purpose, Councillor. Humanity has answered many such questions as we have advanced from a primitive people to the spacefaring power that we are today, but in doing so we have discovered more mysteries. Humanity has always questioned, always searched for answers," Mousset told the three Citadel rulers.

She explained, "When Humanity first began to expand as survival became assured, we didn't just accept that. While some made unsubstantiated or unprovable claims, logicians asked why we had survived. What had enabled us to rise above extinction and the simple nature that had been our way of life for tens of thousands of years? What made Humanity more intelligent and more suited to thrive than any other species on our planet? Why are we here?"

"In telling our history, Councillors, I wished to make a point. Humanity advanced alone, with no help or limitations by outside forces. We have broadened our knowledge to include fields that other members of the Wardens have not yet invented and asked questions that challenge our existence. No other species in the Wardens of the Mantle or the Citadel has done that," the human representative finished.

The Council considered this for several seconds before Tevos inquired, "What makes the Wardens great? This insight and wisdom that you seem to believe that your species possesses?"

"All members of the Wardens of the Mantle are obligated to consult with other members about any attack on another species, but otherwise there aren't any military limitations. Members may ask for assistance with economic, cultural, or militaristic issues that face them, though they are not required to do so. That doesn't make the Wardens great, only another option for species who wish to be involved in the galactic, or at this point inter-galactic, community," the UEG Ambassador replied.

"As for insight, humans are simply proficient at identifying causal relations between events. That does not make us wise, only more experienced with rational thought. I, as an individual human, cannot say whether Humanity itself is wise or not. Defining wisdom has similar problems to our debate on greatness, though please recognize that these are very simple philosophical concepts, Councillors. Modern human rationale and logic is much more complex and requires decades of learning to understand," Mousset told the Citadel leaders.

When the human representative had finished speaking, the was a brief second of silence before Valern commented, "This method of rational thought is similar in the Systems Alliance with their military focus. Defending themselves from the threat of the Covenant above all else?"

"I cannot speak for them, but I would imagine so," Mousset answered.

"The Council has been able to assist the Systems Alliance to achieve prosperity with the trade of resources and information," Tevos started. "Since the Reclaimers and Wardens have peacefully met with the greater intergalactic community, it would benefit all members of both if trade was established."

Tevos knew that it was a rather blatant change of subject, something which the UEG representative knew as well by the subtle look she sent at the Asari Councillor. Even if the human did know, however, the Asari Matriarch was convinced that prosperous relations between the Wardens and Citadel could be established. The example of logical thinking by the Ambassador had made it clear that these humans were not interested in senseless conflict.

"I know that there are many businesses and individuals in the UEG who would be excited at this opportunity, Councillor. At the same time, however, it is standard for certain regulations to be established so that the government can assure the safety of its people," Ambassador Mousset replied.

The Arbiter added, "Most dealings with other Warden species will be done through representatives and craftmasters rather than independent groups. There will be limits on what can be traded, however, as is to be expected."

"Of course, the same is true for the Citadel Council and its members. Certain products and materials are banned due to concerns over safety and security," Sparatus stated.

Tevos went on, "Individual members of the Citadel may also accept or refuse any offer made to that specific species. Terms from trade with one member will not be applied to another without their agreement, although all members of the Citadel will be obligated to follow exchanges negotiated through the Council."

"If the Wardens have a general idea of products that are commonly regulated or exchanged, then perhaps a preliminary list could be established. I am sure that citizens of Citadel space are enthusiastic to have the opportunity to see the culture of new civilizations," the Asari Councillor declared. While her statement was probably true, the real goal of hearing such a list now would be to establish a notion of what the Wardens might try to keep for themselves or otherwise be hesitant to let the Council know about.

"Several items are restricted or regulated in trade between members of the Wardens, so a comprehensive list for official use should not be hard to acquire for the Council's benefit. Actual negotiations will obviously take time and energy that we do not have for this First Contact, but I can summarize some limits that are currently in place," the human offered.

At the Asari Councillor's nod, Victoria Mousset continued, "All military technology is strictly limited, as obvious as that may seem. Information on major UEG and all UNSC fortress worlds is prohibited. Hazardous materials are highly regulated, with mandatory examinations before entrance into Warden territory. Weapons of any kind are subject to inspection and confiscation if not routed through the UNSC or an authorized firearms dealer."

"Citizens are not allowed weapons in your society?" Sparatus inquired, disapproval evident in his tone. Seeing as all Turians were required to serve in the military, it was almost impossible to find a Turian that didn't own a weapon of some kind.

"The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed," Mousset countered, directing her attention to the Turian. "That is the statement, made verbatim, in which citizens of the UEG are guaranteed the right to bear arms, as it is known."

Confusion appeared on the Turian's face at that as he asked, "Why regulate weaponry if all citizens can acquire it anyways?"

"Partly to track criminal activity, partly to track taxes, but mostly it is to prevent violence. While the vast majority of owners merely want security or to use firearms as a hobby, there are those who would attack innocents. Every person has an inherent right to life, but a criminal gives up their rights when they promote or enact violence against their fellow citizens," the UEG Ambassador explained.

"What of those who are not citizens? For all members of the Citadel, citizenry in one species is the same in any other due to our shared laws. Is there such a system in place for citizens of Warden members?" Tevos asked.

Mousset replied, "All foreigners who enter the UEG are beholden to the laws of the state, regardless of the laws of their own place of origin. This also implies the supremacy of law of the greater body. Laws from the Wardens of the Mantle take highest precedence, followed by the UEG, then system laws, followed by planetary, then federal law of specific nations or colonies, then provincial, and lastly municipal law for cities and counties."

"Complex system, would require time to learn and great possibility of contradicting judgements," Valern observed thoughtfully.

Ambassador Mousset nodded to the Salarian and affirmed, "Most crimes fall within municipal to federal laws, which have been refined for hundreds of years. It isn't perfect, of course, but it is sufficient for our society. It is rare to see issues at the planetary or system level, though they happen with interplanetary smugglers from time to time. UEG judicial proceedings only take place for crimes against Humanity or to settle disputes between planets and systems."

"Trials by the Wardens of the Mantle are held by the High Senate for civil crimes, the Council of Guardians for war crimes, and both for crimes against the Mantle of Responsibility. These proceedings are only held for those who have committed heinous crimes against multiple species or violated the Mantle," the human finished.

"We have heard of this 'Mantle of Responsibility' from the Unggoy. It is an interesting concept, but is it really acceptable to have such an ideal as the primary guide for the Wardens? This Council agrees that every species has a right to live, but sometimes sacrifices have to be made for the peace of the galaxy. The Rachni and Krogan are examples of this; if left unchecked, they would have infringed on the rights of Citadel members to exist," Tevos argued, pointing out the Council's major issue with the Warden's Mantle.

The UEG representative smiled grimly and responded, "So it is, Councillor. That is why such things are decided in a court of law instead of with philosophy. Logically, we have no more or less right to exist than the Rachni. Legally, however, it is considered self-defense if you are threatened by another."

"While the Warden courts do have stipulations to enforce the ideals of the Mantle on other species, we aren't here to punish you for your past actions. We may disagree with them, but that's not grounds for inciting conflict. As the Reclaimers of the Forerunners and therefore the Inheritors of the Mantle of Responsibility, Humanity has made it our duty to both logically interpret the Mantle as well as enforce it in a practical manner for all species we meet."

"The Forerunner interpretation of the Mantle held that peace could only be maintained if all threats that would force change in a species were eliminated. Even with all their power, however, they could not force every species to obey that specific ideal, so instead they only interfered if the continued existence of a species was threatened. This broad goal is what the Wardens have set as our objective, at least until Humanity can decide on a more specific interpretation in the coming centuries," Mousset told the Council.

Seeing the suspicion in their gazes, the human assured them, "As I stated before, the Wardens do not seek conflict. We are not unreasonable. It is understood that the Citadel Council fought for survival against their foes, just as Humanity did against the Covenant. Our goal is to prevent the extinction of species, the most notable of which are the Krogan and Quarians at this time."

"You would have us rescind the Genophage and allow the Krogan to expand across our worlds unchecked?" Valern exclaimed, incredulous at the suggestion.

"Of course not, Councillor. Without the Genophage or some other limiting factor, the Krogan would expand far too quickly. The Unggoy have the same issue, but their population growth rate was stabilized without cutting it off entirely. As it is, the population of the Krogan as a species is declining. What the Wardens wish to do is allow the Krogan to grow and expand as a species at a reasonable pace rather than keep them stagnant and divided on their homeworld," Mousset explained.

Before the Council could argue, she continued, "Even though the Krogan are not threatened by extinction at this moment, it is a distinct possibility that we wish to avoid. Since there is no unified Krogan government to meet with at this time and their situation is not an immediate priority, the Wardens and Council can continue to discuss this specific topic at later meetings between experts on the subject."

"Instead, our focus is on the species known as 'Quarians'. From the publicly available Citadel history, they were once a member of the Citadel. They were kicked off because of their creation of the Geth, correct?" the human inquired.

"Development of the Geth was in direct violation of Citadel regulations on AI. Therefore, they lost their membership when they failed to adhere to the treaties and agreements signed when they established an embassy on the Citadel," Valern stated to explain the expulsion of the Quarians.

Ambassador Mousset responded, "The laws of the Council and punishments for violating them are up to the member species of the Citadel. We are not debating the right of the Council to evict one of its member species for violating the terms of Citadel membership. What we are concerned with is the continued survival of the Quarian species, regardless of their transgressions against Council law."

"As it stands, the Quarian people are confined to their Migrant Fleet, barely able to survive with their current resources. I understand that the Citadel will not allow them to settle in territory that is already claimed by another member, but without the ability to settle at all, they will face great difficulty in surviving the coming centuries."

"Seeing as reclaiming their old worlds would bring them into conflict with the Geth, the Wardens would propose a solution. Allow the Quarian Migrant Fleet into our galaxy so that they may find a planet to colonize. Issues of borders and territory can be discussed later, but please consider it as a suggestion for further talks," Mousset requested.

It took a second for the three leaders to consider this, with the Turian Councillor starting, "There is good reason for our intervention in the Quarian's attempts to colonize a new planet. By creating the Geth, they released a threat to the entire galaxy. Expelling them from Citadel space has already been done, but if they could be forced from the galaxy, it would ease the minds of many."

"The greatest concern with this, however, is the possible threat that they could pose to species in your galaxy if left to their own. While the concept of helping the Quarians is noble, understand the risks of doing so. While the Wardens may be willing to deal with the threat to their own citizens, Citadel members also hold territory in that galaxy. How will you ensure that the Quarians do not interfere with our operations?" Sparatus questioned.

"Turian fleets already patrol your borders," the Arbiter said, picking up the conversation as it shifted away from civilian topics. "I doubt that the Quarians would pose a threat to your territory."

Seeing as the Turian's provided most of the Citadel patrol groups, the other two Councillors kept silent as Sparatus replied, "It is not our concern that our worlds would come under attack by the Quarians, as their fleet poses little military threat. Even the inevitable damage they will do to whatever system they settle is of little concern. Encountering whatever threat they release next, however, could begin a conflict in your galaxy that the Citadel will be unable to contain."

"Your presence in our galaxy is fairly small, but there is no issue with finding new worlds. Any conflict can be contained by isolation for the current time, allowing the Citadel and Wardens to determine how to deal with that situation," the Sangheili leader countered.

"While we do, the Quarian's mistakes will have time to grow and strengthen. They have already released the Geth on this galaxy, they cannot be allowed to threaten the frontier as well! A strong Citadel presence has kept the Geth from expanding, but will the Wardens be able to fulfill the same role?" At the question, Sparatus glanced to the UEG Ambassador before focusing solely on the Arbiter.

A slight twitch from the Arbiter's mandibles was the only visible reaction as he answered, "There is no concern with the ability of the Wardens to enforce our own borders or even expand beyond them. Any outside threat to a single member will be met by a unified defense if necessary. If the Citadel Council concerned about the security of its people, then the Quarians may be settled further away."

"We will continue to expand and explore, making contact with them inevitable. The Council is just pointing out issues with the proposed solution to find a logical and acceptable compromise. Is that not the process that the Reclaimers use in their society?" Tevos pointed out.

A quick look back by the Sangheili led to Mousset responding, "That is true, Councillors, and there is absolutely no issue with further consideration as to the specifics of this solution. As for the moment, however, the Wardens merely wish to propose this as a preliminary suggestion rather than any formal agreement. Before any action is taken, the Quarian people would need to agree to this as well, though we do not consider it likely that they would refuse."

"Once they have passed through the Relay that connects our homes and left your borders, Councillors, you would have no further issues with their Fleet. No issues with their collection of resources from inhabited systems," the Arbiter mentioned in an attempt to draw the Council to agreement.

"Leaving the Quarians on their own is also not in the Council's interest for preserving peace. They would have to be monitored and guided to prevent the creation of more AI. Their current confinement to their ships was judged to be sufficient punishment by the Council, and they will not be allowed to avoid paying for their crimes. Just as the Krogan are confined to a single world for their attack on Citadel forces, the Quarians will be limited to a single world for releasing the Geth," Sparatus said, clearly displaying his support of the Council's judgement.

Several of the Warden diplomats shifted as the Turian declared the Quarians plight a just punishment. While there were different opinions as to what to do with defeated opponents, most members would not condemn a species to inevitable extinction from exhaustion. Jiralhanae might gloat over individual opponents, but they wouldn't waste time letting an enemy live if there were more targets nearby.

"If the Citadel Council is so determined to oversee the Quarian people, perhaps a joint-patrol could be organized with the Wardens," the Arbiter suggested. "This does not have to be limited to areas around Quarian space, either. Many members of the Wardens are involved in joint-operations against the Kig-Yar menace, operations which the Citadel would be welcome to join if it wished to do so."

Ambassador Mousset added, "The terms and punishment of the Quarians can be discussed as well. That is a contentious issue, however, and something that can be left for a different time. Would the Citadel Council and its members be willing to accept our solution for the time and work out the details as relations are fully established?"

"I speak for the entire Council in saying that we are certainly willing to consider this solution to the problem the Quarians represent. Military cooperation is certainly a common practice for species associated with the Citadel and would help build diplomatic lines between our members. Further discussions on force deployments and the Quarian issue can be scheduled in the future," Tevos answered.

Seeing an opportunity, the Asari Councillor continued, "By allowing such a large number of ships into your galaxy, there is the issue of increased criminal activity. The Council cannot open the Relay for the Migrant Fleet alone but will have to allow travel to your galaxy with restriction. Criminal groups may access the Relay and establish operations in your galaxy."

Lydus snorted, drawing the attention of the chamber to him as he declared, "They will meet the fires of our ships and fall beneath our warriors. Warlord Atriox has already demonstrated his prowess in battle to the Citadel with the might of the Banished."

"There are already many such organizations in our galaxy, Councillors. Ill-equipped and badly managed, but they do exist. Criminals from Citadel space will meet death in our galaxy as surely as they would here. It might provide yet more opportunities for our warriors to fight a common foe as well," the Arbiter pointed out to the Council.

The Turian Councillor replied, "The Jiralhanae Atriox has reported several victories, but his success has been against one or two ships and not the fleets of pirates that create a true threat. This Council has not actually seen the Banished in action, as their only proof of destroyed vessels has been photos taken after battle."

Instead of replying verbally, the Jiralhanae Alpha just bared his teeth in the equivalent of a smile, letting the UEG Ambassador pick up the dialogue, "Even so, Councillors, you sound interested in building meaningful relations with the Wardens. While this is great to hear, there was distinct emphasis placed on having members of the Wardens become party to agreements and treaties for maintaining galactic peace. Now that we have shared our history and begun learning about each species, we can properly ascertain the necessity of these accords."

"Excellent suggestion," Tevos said, perking up at the possibility of cooperation from members of the Wardens. "As of right now, all species beholden to these agreements are members of the Citadel. Expanding these peacekeeping measure outside of the Citadel Council will help convince new species to adhere to them as well, protecting both our galaxies from unnecessary conflict."

"An admirable goal, Councillor," Mousset stated when the Asari Councillor paused at the end of her introduction.

Tevos smiled and continued, "A goal which has been achieved through the enforcement of these treaties. Several minor agreements will have negligible effects on new species and can be discussed later, so for the moment we will cover the most effective of the Citadel Treaties. Most prominent of these is the Treaty of Farixen, created after the Krogan Rebellions when the Turians joined the Citadel."

"Designed to limit the number of dreadnoughts active across the galaxy, the agreements made at the Turian colony of Farixen were a measure to allow recovery following the Rebellions. With the Turians having proved themselves in fighting the Krogan, they are not limited in the number of ships that they can build. Every other species with a seat on the Council is allowed three dreadnoughts for every five the Turian build, and member species are allowed one for every five Turian vessels," the Asari explained.

The foreign diplomats kept their expressions carefully blank as Mousset inquired, "What ratio tier would members of the Wardens be limited to? We are neither members of the Citadel nor Council, but we must have enough vessels to defend ourselves."

"As no species in your organization holds a seat on the Council, all members would be limited to the one to five ratio," Sparatus informed them. "I am sure that the cooperation proposed between us will be able to accommodate any issues."

"The only ships limited by this are dreadnoughts?" the human asked.

A nod from the Turian preceded his answer, "Cruisers and frigates are not included in the Treaty of Farixen, as they form the bulk of patrol fleets throughout Citadel space."

"These classifications are matched to those obtained from the Unggoy?" the rumbling voice of the Arbiter questioned.

Sparatus took a second to consider the query before replying, "All species who have agreed to the Treaty adhere to the Citadel dreadnought standards. Discussions with the Systems Alliance has defined any armed ship over 800 meters by their measuring system as a dreadnought."

"Cargo transports equipped with weapons to defend themselves would be counted as dreadnoughts?" the Sangheili leader pressed.

"Your merchant ships are large enough to press that limit?" Tevos asked in response.

Ambassador Mousset replied, "Fuel tankers, logistical support, repair cradles, passenger liners, and a variety of other ships are armed with small-scale weaponry for point-defense if necessary. We cannot adhere to the suggested ratio if we need to decommission so many vessels."

"Dreadnoughts possess a primary weapon that allows them to engage at long range. If these other ships merely carry small armaments, then they will not be counted against you if they are of a reasonable size," the Turian declared.

Anticipating the inevitable question, Valern interjected, "Vessels between 800 and 1500 human meters are seen as reasonable. Larger examples, such as the Banished ship of Atriox and your own vessel, are far too large to be excluded."

Mousset tilted her head to the Salarian in acknowledgment before addressing Sparatus, "How many dreadnoughts would each member be limited to at this time, and how would that be enforced?"

"Member species are allowed seven dreadnoughts at this time, though with continued expansion into the new galaxy, this will probably increase to eight soon. Any species with more than their allotment is required to destroy the excess ships. Inspections and enforcement are accomplished by Council Spectres, who have the Council's authority to travel wherever they are needed whenever," the Turian explained.

After her colleague's statement, Tevos took note of each foreign representative, or at least tried to. There was no hope for an expression on the worm-thing or the Unggoy's mask, and the Huragok was impossible to read. Almost no expression made it onto the human's face, though the Matriarch's experience with Asari and SA Humans allowed her to see hints of irritation.

The major reactions, however, came from the Sangheili and Jiralhanae leaders. Lydus seemed to growl as he bared his teeth, though Tevos could hear no sound from the massive Alpha. Twitching mandibles and narrowed eyes seemed to form a sneer on the Arbiter's face, though it was entirely possible that she could be mistaken considering his alien features.

Once again the human representative took the lead, however, as she spoke up, "Understood, thank you for the clarification, Councillor. This is not the only agreement, however, correct?"

"Indeed," Tevos agreed. "While the Treaty of Farixen limits the number dreadnoughts in the galaxy, they are hardly the only threat to peace. As seen by the Geth threat created by the Quarians, Artificial Intelligence is also a source of conflict and suffering. Before the Geth War, AI technology was developed in secure testing facilities, to prevent what happened to the Quarians."

"After their mistakes and creation of illegal and unrestrained Artificial Intelligences, however, the Citadel has halted all AI creation under the Veil Accords. There is no flexibility or exceptions to the rules in this. All technology, research, and facilities that could allow Artificial Intelligence are to be destroyed. This is enforced by Council inspection," Sparatus finished for the Asari, his voice unyielding as he laid out the terms of the Citadel treaty.

Tevos resumed from where the Turian had left off as she added, "The Council should be alerted immediately if Prothean ruins are discovered. With our experience, we can make sure that all species benefit without destroying the site."

"Gene Therapy is also restricted to medical or scientific uses. Correcting life-threatening or delibating issues is allowed, but enhancement with cybernetics is illegal. While useful, concern over Quarian cybernetics and how AI could affect them has led to this policy's inclusion in the Veil Accords," Valern stated.

The Asari continued, "While it may not concern the Wardens due to your location, the last major measure that Citadel species have created for peace is a limit on the activation of new Mass Relays. Since your galaxy does not have Relays, the effect of this measure is negligible. This is also the case for the Systems Alliance, however, they have still agreed to be party to these restrictions."

"Understood, thank you for the explanation, Councillor. Each treaty will be considered by the High Senate of the Wardens to be evaluated and decided upon. Further agreements between individual species can be sorted out at a later time. Our decision will be relayed to the Council when it is reached."

Valern responded, "We anticipate your agreement and will make arrangements for formal ceremonies when that decisions is made. Are there any treaties or documents that the Wardens have created to assure peace between species?"

"Since all members of the Wardens are already allied by joining, we have no need for non-aggression pacts or limitations to exploration," Mousset told the Council. "As stated before, there are very few restrictions placed on members. An attack on an outside entity, such as the Citadel Council, cannot be undertaken without consulting both the High Senate and Council of Guardians, although defensive measures are not limited by this."

She continued, "If one member comes under attack, others are obliged to devote what forces they can to repelling the assault. So far, this tactic has been focused on the pirates that infest Kig-Yar worlds to hinder their ability to mount attacks against Warden members. Otherwise, the only agreement that all members are party to is that the UNSC is to be alerted immediately of any Forerunner structure discovered."

After it became clear that the human was finished, Sparatus spoke up, "You have mentioned these Forerunners several times now, showing that their influence plays a large part in the Wardens. Since it seems that we have covered most material for First Contact, the Council has several questions about species that are not present here today."

"We understand that position, and our discussion on the Quarians was merely due to their precarious situation. Any questions remaining, whether about the Wardens or any other species, will be answered to the best of our abilities," Mousset replied.

"There is no issue with that, Ambassador," Tevos told her. "It shows that you are well informed and are willing to help others to better the galaxy. I also have questions about your history and position in the galaxy, but I will allow you to answer my colleague's question first."

At that statement, the human focused her attention on Sparatus and explained, "Much like the Protheans that members of the Citadel are familiar with, the Forerunners are an ancient race that disappeared long ago. From what we have found, they were wiped out 100,000 years ago, leaving only ruins behind."

"These structures are what led to the formation of the Covenant, as Alpha Lydus said earlier. While the Prophets may have misunderstood or outright lied about the Forerunners, they were correct in regarding the alien species as far beyond them. Their architecture gives us a hint of the power that the Forerunners wielded, including a far greater knowledge of the fundamental forces of reality."

Of course, every individual present who was part of the Warden party knew that such a description of Forerunner might did not do them justice. If the Citadel species believed their station to be the largest artificial construction in existence, then they would have no way to imagine the size of Forerunner engineering.

"While their physical feats were impressive, they also had a plethora of cultural ideals. It was the Forerunner concept of the Mantle of Responsibility that led to our devotion for preserving life. While the original and modern interpretations and implementations may differ, the right to life has persisted through the millennia," Mousset said.

When the human took a second to pause, Valern questioned, "Why would these Forerunners select the humans as the Reclaimers? Your history indicates that you would not have been spacefaring, or perhaps not even sentient at that point in time."

The UEG representative tilted her head to the Salarian in acknowledgement as she answered, "Why the Forerunners did what they did is as lost as their knowledge. We believe that Humanity somehow impressed them enough to attain that title since it can be assumed that it wasn't done by random selection. How we did that is under investigation, so any answer I give would not explain much."

When the Councillors accepted that, Mousset had to conceal her inner cheer. Obscuring the existence of an Ancient Human civilization strong enough to gravely threaten an interim galactic superpower like the Forerunners had been one of the major restrictions placed on the Ambassador by the UEG Congress.

By comparing the Forerunner's reasons for their actions to their knowledge, the Council now believed that the UEG did not know why they were the Reclaimers. Since the sum of Forerunner knowledge was stored in the Domain, Mousset wasn't lying with her statement. Humanity's Reclaimer status was as unknown as the existence of the Domain, which was to say not at all.

"Are Reclaimers the only members able to study the ruins of these Forerunners?" Tevos asked.

"Of course not. Any species that finds a Forerunner structure is welcome to examine it, whether they're members of the Wardens or not. The agreement that was mentioned earlier is between species on the Wardens, but outside species such as those on the Citadel are not required to adhere to its terms. Most species use it to avoid bureaucratic proceedings so that they can contact the UNSC directly," Mousset clarified.

She continued, "When the Council finds Forerunner ruins, and you will, please alert the UNSC as soon as possible. Some structures may appear safe for a time, but almost every installation has hostile forces that will attack if disturbed. This is not a question of the bravery or ability of your military. The presence of Reclaimers usually prevents conflict."

"Usually? If the Forerunners have disappeared, why are their ruins still dangerous without anyone there to defend them?" Tevos asked.

"Sentinels are the biggest threat, though other automated defenses will be present," the Arbiter replied, taking the lead since he had by far more experience with Forerunner ruins that the UEG diplomat.

Valern seemed to perk up with anticipation at the mention of such technology. STG Research and Development would be ecstatic to be able to study another alien civilization, let alone structures that were still operable. Considering that these Forerunners had disappeared 100,000 years ago, their material knowledge must have been close to that of the Prothean's.

Knowing that such discoveries could advance the Citadel Council's knowledge far more than it had for the ignorant species of the Covenant, the Salarian Councillor questioned, "What have you learned from the ruins of the Forerunners? If the Covenant could become powerful enough to threaten you by learning from ancient technology, it follows that your status as Reclaimers would allow you a much greater understanding."

"Many new inventions and alternate utilizations of Forerunner technology have appeared recently. Currently, the most pressing problem that has come from this addition is the automation of many jobs within our society. Fortunately, Humanity has had centuries of experience in dealing with those problems," Mousset stated.

Of all the politicians of the citadel Council, only Ambassador Udina would understand why the UEG was unconcerned with automation. With the invention of true Artificial intelligence in the mid-21st century on Earth, Humanity had quickly found that many menial jobs were no longer suitable for biological beings. Of course, that trend had been ongoing since the creation of computers, leaving many unaffected by the alien addition.

The Systems Alliance representative seemed to understand that mentioning human AI was a bad idea, however, as he let Mousset finish, "All sectors of the economy have been affected by the introduction of Forerunner technology, though most effects have been indirect. The greatest change has been in the primary and secondary sectors, which encompass raw material production and product manufacturing. A variety of Forerunner Sentinels are used throughout UEG territory in construction and mining facilities, along with deployments of this labor force to other Warden members as needed."

Sparatus seemed skeptical as he asked, "These Sentinels are the same type that protect Forerunner facilities?"

"They are, though these are under our control. Constructor, Aggressor, and Retriever variants are used for civilian purposes, while the same and more are used in the UNSC to build ships, stations, facilities, and other items needed to secure systems," Mousset clarified.

"If the Wardens have access to such equipment, why did the Ambassador for the Allied Fringe use such a simple ship?" Tevos inquired after the UEG representative finished speaking.

At the question, Mousset moved to the side slightly so that Premier Dretya was the main focus of attention. The Yonhet leader glanced at her human colleague before focusing on the Council and replying, "I serve the Allied Species of the Fringe as a representative for First Contact with the Citadel Council. As to the simplistic transport I arrived on, it was a cautionary measure."

Dretya explained, "Considering that the Council was an unknown government with possible hostile intent, the Allied Species were nervous about this meeting. It was decided that no distinctive features were to be on our dropship, aesthetical or technological. After our experience with the Covenant, we were understandably wary of a coalition of alien species."

Sparatus seemed to approve as he replied, "Understood, and while your measures were not needed today, it is a good to be prepared. Were you involved in the war between the Reclaimers and Covenant as well?"

"Most species of the Fringe attempted to distance themselves as far as they could from the conflict. While some continued business with the Covenant species, most of those on the Fringe retreated for fear of being found by the Humans. Considering the scale of the conflict, it is still upheld as the correct decision," the Yonhet leader stated.

"What were the casualties from this conflict? A general estimate of several billion was given during your history, but are there more accurate figures from either faction?" Tevos inquired, bringing the attention of the Chamber away from Dretya.

Mousset's expression hardened slightly at the query, but she kept her voice level as she answered, "Twenty-three billion human casualties are estimated, though that number is not confirmed nor stable. Many survived the destruction of their homes only to perish from starvation, illness, or other such causes. That number may be lower if a large number of survivors joined the Systems Alliance."

"Many members of the Covenant took a heavy toll as well," the Arbiter said in the shocked silence that followed the human representative's statement. When the Council failed to respond, the Sangheili continued, "High Charity, the capital of the Covenant, became engulfed in civil war in the closing days of the war. Billions lost their lives in that single battle, most perishing with the destruction of the structure and its defense fleet."

When the Arbiter finished speaking, Mousset once more resumed, "Total casualties are estimated to be in excess of fifty billion if post-war conflicts between the Covenant Remnants are included. This includes the Great Schism, the civil conflict that the Arbiter mentioned, along with the Blooding Years as war raged between several factions of Sangheili and Jiralhanae."

Silence reigned over the Council Chambers as the UEG Ambassador finished her statement. Such death tolls were completely unknown to the members of the Citadel, even with the threats they had faced. Even with billions dead in the separate conflicts of the Krogan Rebellions, Rachni War, and Geth War, the combined fatalities from those events did not come close to Human death alone in the Covenant War.

While the Quarian race had been spacefaring and composed of several billion individuals, their stringent environmental requirements had limited their populations severely. With four billion deaths from the Rachni and Krogan conflicts, the addition of eleven billion Quarian deaths still left them far short of Human deaths alone from the Covenant War.

It took some time for the Councillors to speak once more, with Sparatus starting, "Such casualties have never been seen in our galaxy. I... Well, there is nothing I can say. Understanding the scale of this tragedy is beyond anyone."

"Absolutely correct, Councillor. Even having experienced it, Humanity cannot understand. It's just a number, yet putting that into perspective escapes the abilities of our most intelligent philosophers. There is a reason that it has changed so much in UEG society," Mousset replied.

"Yet you are in an Alliance with your former enemies?" Sparatus asked.

The Arbiter replied, "There is much hate that remains, but we will persevere. Our alliance through the Wardens has already allowed cooperation, as much as many may disagree with that. Ultimately, we have decided to resolve our problems together, rather than let weakness guide our blades."

A grunt from Lydus brought attention to the Alpha as he added, "Strength comes in many forms. Members of the Wardens have proven theirs by dealing with the past and fighting against shared enemies. The dishonourable loyalists and Kig-Yar scum have given us a target to unify against, and we will crush them, as is right."

"We have met these Kig-Yar, and while they were hostile, they did lead us to the Unggoy. Is there much known about them, even if they are not members of the Wardens?" Tevos asked, moving the conversation away from the horrifying reality of the Covenant War as the Jiralhanae leader gave her the opportunity.

"They have always been a fairly disorganized species, but even then they were accepted into the Covenant," the Sangheili responded. "No single Kig-Yar faction represents the species, as they are ruled by Queens who prefer to steal and pillage rather than cooperate together. While they are not a large threat if kept in check, they can quickly amass fleets due to the infighting between them. Letting one grow too strong could spark a conflict that the Wardens would much rather avoid."

Before the Council had a chance to respond, Lydus added, "An invitation to join the Wardens was offered to several of the Queen tribes, but none accepted our offer. They continue to believe in the false Prophets and the lies of the Great Journey. It is common for young Jiralhanae to sate their bloodlust in a hunt for the scum, if only to trim the fat from their numbers."

"Vessels from the Turian Hierarchy commonly foray into the Terminus Systems with the same goal. It gives new recruits a chance to get some experience and reminds the filth of their weakness," Sparatus stated, a slight smirk breaking his usual bland expression.

"I like this one," Lydus replied, baring his teeth at Sparatus in the Jiralhanae equivalent of a grin.

As Tevos looked away from the disturbing snarl of the Alpha, she caught a glimpse of Mousset's raised eyebrow as the UEG Ambassador glanced between Lydus and the Turian Councillor. The expression was quickly concealed once more, however, as Mousset noticed the attention of the Asari Matriarch.

Apparently the Ambassador was ready to move things along as she observed, "It seems that the Turians and Jiralhanae will have little issue with finding common ground. That also seems to be the case for Humans and Asari, judging by Ambassador Udina's security." At the mention of the SA representative, Tevos turned slightly and subtly motioned for Udina to come forward and answer.

"The humans with me are N7 soldiers, highly trained and ready to give their lives to protect the Council diplomatic party. Ensign T'soni was asked to accompany them when we were told that we would be meeting with species from the Covenant. Systems Alliance officials wanted to show solidarity with the Council races, let them know that Humanity would not be alone in standing against them. Of course, that has changed since the UEG has survived the war," Udina said, keeping his focus on Mousset rather than the former Covenant species that were beside her.

"It is surprising that the Systems Alliance would allow another species into the ranks of its military after fleeing from the Covenant. Integration with the Citadel must be going well," Mousset commented.

Any response from Udina was cut off as Tevos responded, "While the Systems Alliance has been cooperating with other members of the Citadel, very few have seen their worlds. No other Citadel member allows multiple species into their military, as fighting styles differ. An Asari will not fight in the same way as a Turian, nor a Volus like an Elcor. That the Alliance is so willing to find their specialty in Citadel society by observing other species is commendable."

The UEG Ambassador seemed to frown slightly at that before smiling and replying, "Thank you for the explanation, Councillor. Further questions about the Alliance will be brought up with them when the UEG contacts their government. Other issues or questions can be brought up with the Wardens in further meetings, or with the individual members that it concerns."

"We look forward to further conversations, Ambassador. Instructions for establishing diplomatic connections will be sent to your ship for all leaders to follow. A guide will show you back to the hangar for your departure," Tevos told them with a smile.

"Thank you for a peaceful First Contact between our people." With that last statement, Mousset and the rest of the Warden politicians turned and began making their way off the platform. As the UEG Ambassador passed by one of the massive armored beings, it took her helmet and attached it to what seemed to be a magnetic backplate.

Tevos' gaze was drawn away from the green armor as the reporters and citizens in the Chambers tried to shout questions to the Council and Wardens. Instead of answering, however, Tevos, her colleagues turned to make their way to a room reserved for Council discussion out of the public eye. There was much to discuss, and much of it would be best left unknown to the public.

* * *

 **12th Day of 20th Month, 2458/March 13, 2589/March 13, 2180**

 **Fleet Admiral Terrence Hood**

 **UNSC** _ **Infinity**_

Considering the effort and resources put into constructing this vessel, Hood couldn't help but feel that it was slightly insulting to once more use it as a glorified taxi service. The _Infinity_ was meant to serve as a flagship for the UNSC fleet, however, which made it the most fitting vessel to send a message to the Systems Alliance about the UEG's recovery.

What effect that message had remained to be seen as the massive human carrier dropped out of slipspace at coordinates provided by the Alliance. A quick glance at the viewscreens allowed Hood to see the massive fleet that the Innies had taken with them when they left, with every ship drifting in orbit above the planet. Orders flew about the bridge behind the Fleet Admiral as the _Infinity_ began to move closer to the planet.

While the UEG and SA bureaucrats dealt with the civilian interactions between their people, the real decisions would be made down below. From information provided by the Systems Alliance, Hood would be meeting with the Director of Enemy Countermeasures. It wasn't hard to figure out that the Enemy was the Covenant, making this meeting even more interesting since no other Warden members were invited to this location.

Eventually, Hood turned from the view and began making his way to one of the carrier's many hangars and the Pelican that had been prepped for his departure. Lasky gave him a nod as he passed by, though the _Infinity_ 's Admiral continued his work at the holotable without any other formalities.

In short time, Hood was on his way down to the surface. It quickly became obvious that the planet lacked an atmosphere as there was no turbulence battering the dropship. Even so, Hood could feel the changes in acceleration as the pilot evened out to land at a designated pad at one of the facilities that dotted the landscape.

After a few seconds, the all-clear was given for him to deploy, indicating that a breathable and clean environment had been found in the enclosed hangar they had landed in. As the ramp of the transport descended, a Systems Alliance soldier was revealed, making it obvious who to follow.

A brief walk and the soldier stood to the side, allowing Hood to see the placard _Systems Alliance Director of Enemy Countermeasures_ on the door. Aside from that one detail, the slab of metal and electronics looked no different from any other one in the building.

With quick tug on his uniform jacket out of habit, Hood stepped up to the door. It silently opened to allow him through before closing once more behind him. The room beyond was sparse, with simple furnishings and the only occupant seated behind a desk.

As the two military leaders looked at one another, no greetings needed to be shared for them to recognize each other. Hood glanced around the office, taking in the sparse accommodations without any surprise before focusing on the dead man in front of him.

"Hood."

Terrence nodded his head and replied in kind, "Cole."

* * *

 **As far as I can tell in ME canon, Citadel armed forces are kept to a singular species. If someone knows or finds that that's false, please let me know.**

 **Actually, let me know about any mistakes you spot. PM works just fine, or review, whichever is easier. I know there's a lot of content in the chapter, so if I missed anything you had wanted to go over, please give a shout and I'll see about getting to it. Some things I may have intentionally left out, others I may have forgotten. Each universe has too much stuff for me to have gotten it all, but such is life.**

 **Next chapter looks to be quite a bit of fun. Hope you enjoyed the update!**

 _-evevee_


	12. An Honest Chat

Disclaimer: I own no franchise mentioned in this work. Halo belongs to 343, Mass Effect to Bioware.

 ***IMPORTANT NOTE* Please don't complain about the classified information shared in this chapter. The Alliance knows the Coordinates of Earth, the UNSC knows that the Alliance cannot fight a war against them. Hood and Cole are both military commanders, they understand that the UEG and SA can each cause issues for the other. Hence this chapter. *END IMPORTANT NOTE***

 **This meeting looks to be very, very interesting. Lot of stuff will be explained, some other items speculated. Really getting into the meat of First Contact and what is to come.**

 **Honestly, however, I must say that this chapter was** _ **very**_ **difficult to write. Not because of a lack of topics to cover, but rather quite the opposite. I had so much fun writing this that I couldn't even write at times, all output was blocked by the flood of ideas.**

 **Now for Review Responses! If you don't care, skip to the breakpoint below. For responses, later reviews will be listed first, because I'm lazy and can't be bothered to reverse-order them. To those I do not explicitly mention, thank you for reviewing!**

 **To all of the reviews asking if the Wardens will accept the Citadel's Treaties: Have I really given the impression that that's going to happen? Honestly asking, as I was trying to convey the Warden's disdain for those limitations. No, they won't accept.**

 **Siphon 117: The Citadel has always been the center of power for its members. Thinking that a new species, even a group of them, being more powerful is unprecedented. I mentioned an Alliance AI presiding over their Parliament WAY back in chapter 4 or 5, so easy to forget that the SA do have AI still. Wardens have Main Battle Tanks, Citadel has Makos. Not hard to see how that will go.**

 **The Cursed Merc: Citadel strengths would be mostly economic and cultural, since they have an established and solid economic base several hundred years old and all Warden members except the UEG are trying to establish new social structures separate from the Covenant practices they used to hold. No, Humanity is not going to go genocidal on the Citadel. Screwing up the story that badly makes me shudder. As for firepower, the numbers you state are for Citadel dreadnoughts, of which there are around 60-70 in canon. To compare, the UNSC has hundreds of cruisers, not to mention ODP's which FAR outclass anything the Citadel has.**

 **Benthatguy: I didn't have the Wardens reject the Citadel's proposals outright because those present did not have the authority to do so. It would require a formal vote in the High Senate to be rejected.**

 **Star Iron: The Wisdom and Capabilities of the Citadel Council? They're incapable of enforcing their own laws and are willfully ignorant to the threat of the Reapers in canon. There's nothing there to appreciate.**

 **Happy Halloween, now on to the chapter!**

* * *

 **March 13, 2589/March 13, 2180/12th Day of 20th Month, 2458**

 **Systems Alliance Facility 006**

 **Unnamed Planet**

After the simple greeting, Cole gestured to the empty chair opposite him. As with the rest of the space, the seat wasn't designed for comfort but for practicality, something that Hood could appreciate as he silently accepted the invitation.

The Alliance Director took several seconds to examine his counterpart once more before starting, "I think that we can both agree to cut the political bullshit. The Alliance doesn't want any snooping from the Council, and the UNSC wants to keep their worlds hidden. We want to know where to stand to avoid war, and you want to know why that's an issue at all."

"Among other things. I've played my share of the political game, a good talk that never leaves this room would be welcome," Hood replied, thinking on the years of the Covenant War when the UNSC had declared Martial Law. As the Fleet Admiral of Earth's defenses, Hood had been the main line of communication between the UEG and UNSC, letting the politicians know what to do to keep up morale and prevent any hinderance to the war effort.

Cole grunted and responded, "The duties of high command. Keep your troops alive and the civilians happy. I assume you want to know why I'm here."

It took a second for Hood to process the quick change of topic, but he recognized that it was an assertion rather than a question. As such, the UNSC Fleet Admiral waited patiently for the Director to begin.

"Vice Admiral Preston J. Cole, exemplary military record in the war against the Insurrection, then the Covenant. Got promoted to Commander to avoid the spotlight, then Rear Admiral to avoid it again, and to Vice Admiral for an early retirement. Recruited once again for the war against the Covenant, promoted to Admiral, then back down to Vice Admiral. Why would someone who fought with the UNSC for over 30 years suddenly abandon them?" Cole started, his gaze focused on Hood even though it was clear that the Director was lost in his memories.

Cole sighed softly before continuing, "I swore to protect the people of the UEG when I signed up. From the dangers of new worlds, at first, then Innies a decade later. Returned to service to lead the fight against the Covenant. I was told to protect Humanity, save us from the alien menace."

"I did my duty. Destroyed every Covenant ship I faced. What did it gain? We were losing the war, and everyone knew it. In that final battle, above Psi Serpentis, I destroyed over 300 vessels of the Enemy. What did that do?" Cole asked, looking at Hood with what bordered on a glare, though it wasn't hostile.

The UNSC leader seriously considered the question and met Cole's gaze with his own as he replied, "Bought the UNSC some time to prepare. Inspired moral and gave people hope. Got the Insurrectionists off our back as well."

"Wiping out that fleet let Humanity win the war, though? The largest number of Covenant ships ever seen, destroyed in an instant. It made a difference?" the Director pressed.

Hood's expression hardened and he narrowed his eyes as he answered, "Not a damn bit. Reach was hit with 750 ships, took out a good number but fell on August 30th, 2552. Three separate fleets attacked Earth, wearing down our defenses over time, but the ODP network still downed several hundred. Special Forces took out almost 500 ships by destroying a Covenant fleet anchor. A NOVA detonated over one of their worlds destroyed well over 400. Even then, the Great Schism was responsible for the destruction of thousands more, mostly around their capital and its fleet."

Cole appeared shocked at the numbers but quickly schooled his expression and stated, "Exactly my point. We can get to how you survived the war later, but it could not have been predictable events that allowed victory."

When there was no reaction from the Fleet Admiral, Cole continued, "I was informed of a fleet of survivors, hiding out in the interplanetary void. They were lost, their worlds destroyed, the Covenant behind them and the unknown in front, and no leadership to tell them which was better."

"It was my duty to use such knowledge, my oath to protect Humanity. Without orders from HighCom, I would either risk desertion by guiding those people or dereliction of duty by abandoning them. Eventually the Enemy would kill me, and when they did, it would destroy moral. Instead, I chose to go out in a blaze of glory, taking as many as I could with me. Before we could die from the induced stellar fusion of Viperidae, the _Everest_ made a slipspace jump to coordinates we had obtained from the Insurrectionist fleet that had helped in the battle."

"It led us to the Exodus Fleet, a massive gathering of vessels from the Outer Colonies who were fleeing the Covenant advance. Many were in support of destroying my ship when we dropped in, but they held back when I offered to lead them to safety," Cole said.

Hood raised his head slightly and interrupted, "Leaving behind all you had sworn to protect. Why not lead them to Earth?"

"I didn't have a choice," the Director growled. "We were losing the War. No matter how strong she was, the _Everest_ would never be able to stand up to an entire fleet on her own. With entire planets falling in days, I took the route that I thought would save Humanity, if not the UEG. Think of my acts as you will, but do not doubt reality. I put the survival of the species above that of a single government, and I will never regret that decision."

Several seconds passed in silence before Hood replied, "I understand." He let out a sigh as he noted the confused look that Cole sent him and explained, "The ship that I arrived in, the _Infinity_. I'm sure you noticed her, would be hard not to. That vessel was built for the same purpose, Director. The flagship of the UNSC fleet, capable of destroying entire enemy battlegroups and supporting planetary invasions, is a repurposed colony ship."

A raised eyebrow was the only response as Hood continued, "The cryobays were repurposed into launch-decks for frigates, along with other changes, but even still she carries over 15,000 crew. If the Covenant ever found Earth, and they did, the _Infinity_ was to flee, carrying the hopes of Humanity into the stars."

"She was built during the war?" Cole inquired, slightly surprised.

Hood nodded and clarified, "Originally built in the Oort cloud, upgraded after the war with shields and Forerunner equipment recovered from various ruins. While we have larger vessels, more powerful ones, the _Infinity_ is still seen as the symbol of the UNSC fleet. Proof that we are recovering from the Covenant war, stronger than ever."

"UNSC vessels have energy shielding? Your allies shared that?" the Director asked, surprise and excitement obvious in his posture.

"R&D managed to break through and get it running in the last year of the war, shortly before Reach fell. After the war, with the Covenant in pieces and the Great Schism in full swing, the Elites, Brutes, and others needed our knowledge to survive. The Prophets and Engineers had always been the source of their technological prowess, and with the first extinct and the second fleeing to the UNSC, they had little choice," the Fleet Admiral explained.

Cole snorted and muttered, "Ironic."

Hood nodded and resumed, "It guaranteed our survival, as no species could attack us. If one were to try, every other would destroy them. The same species that were trying to kill us suddenly became allies. Eventually, the Remnants, those loyal to the Covenant and their genocidal ideals, were destroyed. In the aftermath, the Wardens of the Mantle were formed, to try and keep the peace between the Jiralhanae and Sangheili, mostly."

"The UEG was invited shortly after, as we were still needed. At this point, all members of the Wardens are standing on their own, although not all are sure of what they want to do with that ability. Most of our focus has been on the groups of pirates that survived the conflict, allowing our forces to work together and unify against a common enemy."

"There is no concern that they will destroy Humanity?" the Director questioned pointedly.

Terrence smiled slightly at the inquiry but answered evenly, "By the time they could have tried, it was too late. We knew their technology, adapted it, overcame it, made it our own. Even so, I don't think that it would have been a problem. The Arbiter of the Elites has proven a trustworthy ally, and most of the Sangheili respect Humanity for standing and fighting."

"All the Jiralhanae tribes are united under one ruling Alpha, though that can change quickly. For now, the Brutes are concentrated on the Kig-Yar pirate kingdoms. All other members are too weak to present a threat to the UNSC, and even the two that I mentioned would not be able to take Earth. Technological advancement is a part of that, but our status as Reclaimers has ensured that any attack against us will be met with swift retribution."

"There are many in the Alliance who have questioned this whole Reclaimer business, and we will get to it soon, but your defensive strategy does raise some immediate issues," Cole stated, concentrating on the consequences rather than reasons first. "From your discussion with the Citadel Council, I assume that you know that they want your Wardens to join under them, correct?

At the Fleet Admiral's nod, he continued, "They don't know that you have energy shields, or many other things that would prove useful in a conflict. It is widely believed by members of the Citadel that the only method for shielding is their Kinetic Barriers, which use Element Zero. By their logic, even though your ships are larger, they are inferior. No Mass Accelerators, no Barriers, inferior computational equipment, and the such."

"I won't pretend to be disappointed. Doesn't make sense to me, though," Hood commented.

Cole gestured dismissively with a hand as he replied, "Various theories have been suggested, but the most likely is that they've never seen anything different. No Systems Alliance vessel has energy shielding, nor anything else besides a slipspace drive that has interested the Council. Even then, most of those were discarded due to issues after extended use."

"We do appreciate the assistance with the _Spirit of Fire_ , however late that thanks may be. The Alliance has been sharing such technology with the Council, though?" the Fleet Admiral asked, surprise obvious in his tone.

"We've told them about it, let them examine it. After it became clear to them that it was inferior to their Mass Effect drives, they lost interest. As for shielding, we never let them know about the Covenant or the threat it presented. There was no way in hell that the Council would let us join if they knew about the Covenant. We only told them a general story, carefully dodging around the truth without outright lying," the Director explained.

Hood softly mutter, "Damn politics." The statement received a nod of agreement from Cole as the UNSC leader added, "We knew from Contact with the Council that you hadn't told them of the Covenant. Based on that, we've encouraged all Warden members to keep a policy of information restriction."

"Several Alliance assets assigned to information retrieval have noted a significant decrease in criminal activity around our colonies in Citadel space. Ambassador Udina informs me that it's due to a group the Council brought on called the Banished. From the lack of reports, it seems that even independent groups are following your directive?" Cole asked.

"Not necessarily. Most of the Wardens want nothing to do with the Citadel, but they agreed to make First Contact to keep the Council from doing something stupid like attacking them. The Brutes are an exception to this, perfectly happy to find something to fight. Long as Lydus keeps them directed at the pirates and other irritations, I have no issue with that," Hood explained.

The Director considered that for a second before pressing, "You're not concerned about Citadel members acquiring specifications on the Banished ships? They're concerned as it is about CAS Assault Carriers, as is the Systems Alliance, but to know that such a ship can survive close to anything they throw at it? That it can glass entire planets? Not a good way to delay war."

"Atriox is smart, even when compared against many humans or Sangheili. He understands the value of keeping things quiet. The Council has him on their payroll to trim out some of the Terminus scum, though I know that he doesn't report every kill. Acquiring information on the strengths and weaknesses of this Element Zero technology has been his main focus," the Fleet Admiral informed Cole.

Preston frowned slightly and looked off to the side in thought before replying, "As long as he doesn't cause the Alliance any issues, I have no reason to consider him a threat. Did he visit the Citadel, about 20 years ago?"

"Yes, made First Contact with the Council for the Jiralhanae. Why?"

"Council was curious how a vessel could travel from our galaxy to the station so fast. Alliance scientists explained it as time dilation that has been known to happen in slipspace, but we weren't sure why they were asking. When no attack came, we dropped the matter to focus on positive relations," Cole explained.

Terrence raised an eyebrow at that as he asked, "They accepted that answer? How much experimentation have they done with slipspace?"

"Almost none. They built a drive with the help of the Alliance, but when it failed mid-flight, they abandoned that avenue," the Director answered.

"Why set it up to fail?" Hood asked, reading between the lines.

Cole shrugged slightly and responded, "We knew that the Enemy could track slipspace vectors. It was possible that they couldn't track Eezo drive signatures after jumps, hence a major reason why we built most of our technology around Mass Effect. Even though it was inferior, was knew that UNSC tech hadn't worked against the Covenant, and we didn't have the shipbuilding facilities or resources to build more robust vessels like the UNSC."

"By discouraging the Citadel species from slipspace, the Alliance could play catch-up. Prevent the Council from alerting the Enemy to our location. Of course, that tactic is rather outdated now, so I can't say that that policy will continue. As of now, though, any assets we assign to their galaxy are made with Eezo, allowing the Alliance to keep our heavy forces on Terra and not give the species of the Citadel an idea of our true military power."

"Why would you want them weak? You must have known that fleeing UEG space was merely a delay of the inevitable. Finding the Citadel Council allowed the Alliance to rebuild and gain allies to fight against the Covenant," Hood pointed out.

"That exact statement defines the differences between the UNSC and the Systems Alliance. You ask how to fight, how to become stronger and defeat your enemy. We never planned on fighting the Covenant, Admiral. If the UNSC could not stop them, what hope did we have?" Cole replied.

He continued, " Of all the things the UNSC was, weak was not one. Corrupt, overbearing, and dictatorial perhaps, but not weak. If the Alliance was ever found by the Enemy, we would evacuate as many as we could with the fleet above this planet and they would run once again. While members of the Citadel faced the Covenant juggernaut, the last remnants of Humanity would survive."

Fleet Admiral Lord Terrence Hood suppressed his automatic anger at that and kept his voice carefully monotone as he demanded, "You would leave your allies to die, knowing that they stood no chance against the Enemy?"

"The Alliance would run, and I would do my duty," Cole snapped back. "In the case of contact with any Covenant species or other threats, the Director of Enemy Countermeasures assumes ultimate command of all Systems Alliance military assets. All evacuation ships would be sent to Terra to pick up as many as they could while we held the line. Even if we fell, the Alliance ships could still retreat while the Citadel delayed the Enemy."

"Implicating the Asari by bringing one in your armed forces to First Contact. Show the Covenant that the Citadel Council had allied with you," Hood commented.

Preston nodded and agreed, "With the Covenant's lack of thought, they would declare the Citadel heretics for associating with Humanity. Even if they managed to reach a peaceful agreement, however doubtful that was, it would still delay the Enemy for our Exodus Fleet to get away."

A calm silence settled in the room as both men gathered their thoughts. It was broken as the UNSC Fleet Admiral questioned, "What does the Alliance plan to do now?"

"Why would I give you our goals? You're allied with the Enemy, even if their organization is broken, they still killed billions. It would be just as easy to say that the UEG betrayed Humanity by doing that as the Alliance doing so by fleeing," Cole argued.

"It's not an unfamiliar sentiment," Hood muttered with a hint of irritation in his voice. He raised his voice and clarified, "The public wasn't too happy to learn that the UNSC wouldn't be taking the fight to the Elites, Brutes, and others. At the same time, it brought a kind of peace as each member of the Wardens held true to their word."

Before the Director could interject, Hood explained, "Little events that nonetheless caught everyone's eye. A Sangheili vessel rescued a civilian transport from some Kig-Yar, several Jiralhanae cruisers deployed troops on a colony to beat back a pirate raid. Of course, ONI may have had a hand in setting up some of these, but as long as they can prove that they have the situation under control, I see no need to interfere with their scheming."

"Spooks," Cole commented derisively.

Hood met the Director's eyes as he lifted one shoulder slightly and responded, "They serve their purpose. Keep them accountable and they're a powerful tool. Little lesson for any Alliance intelligence."

"Had to trim the fat?" Preston asked.

"A little clean up after the war wasn't unwarranted," Lord Hood answered. After a second, he continued, "Back to the point, however, is that the UEG has accepted the Wardens of the Mantle. There are issues, as is expected, but they are not insurmountable. Our largest concern is keeping the peace."

"Humanity has had enough of war, at least for a time. The Brutes and Elites do most of the fighting for the Wardens, the first to direct their aggression somewhere productive and the second for honor. Meanwhile, the UNSC builds its fleets, advancing and rebuilding what we lost in the war."

Hood finished, "I'm not asking for every detail of the Systems Alliance. Each of us have our secrets, and I know that there are some that cannot be shared. On the other hand, however, the UNSC would like to avoid conflict as much as possible. Butting heads with the Alliance over trivial crap that could've been solved with simple information is a waste of my time and yours."

Cole smiled slightly at the Fleet Admiral and answered, "I could not agree more, sir. As for instructions, I have yet to receive anything from the Systems Alliance Parliament. What I can tell you is that the Alliance is absolutely dedicated to that same goal."

"We do not have the resources or population to support a full-scale war effort. While that's technically classified, I think we can both agree that it is also obvious. Most of our effort over the years has gone into maintaining the Exodus Fleet in orbit and building as many ships with Mass Effect as we can, along with constructing infrastructure on Terra."

"Of course, that was in anticipation of the Covenant. With them out of the equation, confidence has been growing in the idea of establishing ourselves more permanently in our territory. Building colonies, stations, and the such. Most of the Alliance population is currently concentrated on Terra, along with some colonies in the Citadel's galaxy. If we do that, I want to make sure that the Wardens won't come along and destroy it all," the Director said, his voice calm even while talking about such a possibility.

The UNSC leader sighed as he replied, "That is what we are concerned with. The Wardens do not want war, the Systems Alliance doesn't want war, yet can the same be said of the Council? Our First Contact on the Citadel seems to have given them pause, but we've already received reports of STG vessels lurking where they shouldn't."

Cole frowned as he considered that before responding, "Make no mistake, Fleet Admiral, they will have their war. The Systems Alliance will delay it as long as possible, but there is only so much we can do."

"Our greatest defense is the location of our worlds, most importantly Earth and Reach. If the Systems Alliance cooperates with the Council and reveals their coordinates, I cannot promise that you will not be attacked," Hood warned.

"I maintained an environment of strict information restriction in my fleet," the Director pointed out. "Almost all Alliance databases have been wiped of navigation data pertaining to UEG space. One of the reasons that Parliament is so hesitant to allow integration with Citadel species is to prevent the location of human worlds from falling into alien hands, however that happens."

Terrence waited for a short time before asking, "Almost all?"

"There's already so much illegal technology and restricted data on this planet that there would be no point in removing it. You can be assured that if this world falls, everything on its surface will be turned to ash," Cole declared.

"Understood. The same courtesy will be extended to the coordinates of this world and the Alliance homeworld," Hood replied.

A nod was all the acknowledgement that Cole gave as he changed topics, "Which brings us to the issue of conflict. In the case of war between the Citadel and Wardens, I think it would be best if we determined some general terms today. Limitations, if you will, as much as I know that there is no way to enforce them."

"The UNSC can abide by some rules, off the record of course. Little things, missing Alliance civilian traffic or losing the trail of a clever Alliance patrol group. So long as the SA has the wherewithal to do the same, it shouldn't be an issue. ONI has a particular knack for setting up such convenient circumstances," Hood replied.

"Avoid the fight altogether, a sound strategy. What of your allies, however? Regardless of their past crimes, I know that Elites and Brutes are both fighters, and I do not think that they will accept pacifism in the face of inevitable Council threats," Preston commented.

The UNSC leader tilted his head in agreement and countered, "I never said that the UNSC would be hiding in the skirts of our allies, only that we would attempt to avoid Arjuna's Dilemma. Humans fightings humans gets very nasty, very quickly, and neither UEG nor SA public relations would enjoy the results."

"As much as the Insurrection may be hated by the UEG populace, there is a much greater hate for outside enemies. The UEG is dealing with its own social problems related to our status as Reclaimers, something which I do not really wish to exacerbate by annexing the Systems Alliance."

"Our targets in a conflict would be in Citadel space, along with their positions in this galaxy. As for other members of the Wardens, that is a slightly more problematic situation," Hood mentioned with a thoughtful expression. "Neither the Sangheili nor Jiralhanae particularly respect the Alliance due to your retreat, however tactically sound it may have been."

Before Cole could reply, the Fleet Admiral continued, "Giving contrast to that, however, is the behavior of the Council itself. While SA territory is much closer, the Elites and Brutes will be looking for a challenge. Since the Councillors declared their might so readily during First Contact, that strength will be tested."

Preston considered that for several seconds before summarizing, "Avoid meeting them in direct battle and they will go after the more blatantly aggressive Council. It would work well, except the issue of distance, as you mentioned. Why go all the way to the Citadel galaxy when there's a target so close?"

"Well, they don't know that you're here," Hood pointed out. "You've kept up an impressive veil of silence, all things considered. The most likely event that would reveal the Alliance's location is a Council ship heading in this direction. Even so, fleets devoted to a conflict with the Council would be deployed to a Forward Operating Base that has already been established."

"Interesting, though also concerning. As for communications, the danger of some random civilian trying to send a message back to UEG space was too high. Alerting the Covenant was the last thing we wanted to do, and as such we restricted all high-level communications equipment to vital personnel," Cole explained.

That brought a hint of amusement to Hood's expression as he responded, "Escape the Covenant and the suppression of the pre-War UEG, only to realize why those policies were in place at all. How did other vessels know to follow you here if all communication was restricted, though?"

"Insurrectionist data caches hidden in dropsites. Some ships staying behind to spread the message. It wouldn't surprise me if ONI had information on it, so others knowing about it isn't that surprising," the Director explained.

Terrence tilted his hand slightly in acquiescence and countered, "If humans knew about it, though, how did you hide from the Covenant?"

"A good question, and one I cannot answer. As much as the Enemy seemed capable of tracking survivors across entire planets, they never found us. May have been luck, maybe something else," Cole answered.

"Something else is a much closer guess than anything logical," Hood stated. Seeing that he had Preston's attention, the Fleet Admiral clarified, "It has to do with the status of Reclaimers. Obviously the subject is still under heavy investigation by the UNSC, and really all members of the Wardens, but we do know enough to answer some questions."

A second went by as Hood mentally structured his explanation before he resumed, "Not every human is a Reclaimer. Humanity, as a species, is known as 'The Reclaimers', but not every individual is marked as 'A Reclaimer'. We don't know what criteria is used in determining that distinction, nor how it is implemented, but we know that is exists."

"It is possible to detect a Reclaimer with Forerunner technology, usually by using what is called a Luminary, though there are other methods. The _Infinity_ 's sensor banks include one of these Luminaries, allowing us to detect Forerunner artifacts, humans, and Flood."

Before Cole could ask, Hood waved a hand and answered, "We'll get there in a bit. My point in telling you about that ability is that the Covenant had Luminaries as well. It's how they tracked us down so easily when they entered a system. It is a localized scan, so there are limits to its range, but it still far beyond anything we've ever built."

"If the Covenant tracked Reclaimers using this Forerunner FFI system, then how would they not see your fleet? Sure, you were hiding in the space between planets, but surely one of the ships there could've been tracked to your location by the enemy. Unless, of course, if there was nothing to track."

"There were millions in the Exodus fleet. I don't know what the percentage of Reclaimers is, but it cannot be that low if the Covenant tracked human locations with it," Cole argued.

Hood nodded and confirmed, "It's common enough, to say the least. We scanned Terra when we entered the system. Nothing invasive, simply something to confirm our suspicions. Director, there are no Reclaimers in the Alliance's population, at least not that we've found."

"Well. That may be a problem," Cole commented after a thinking for a time. "Do all members of the Wardens know this?"

"Not that I know of, but it is entirely likely that they know from observing Alliance worlds in the Citadel galaxy," the UNSC leader answered.

Preston accepted that calmly before inquiring, "What does being a Reclaimer imply? I understand that it means that Humanity inherits Forerunner ruins and the such, but that seems extremely simple. There's no way that a galactic civilization would give primitive humans control of their structures and just disappear."

"Of course not, but we know significantly more than we told the Council. As the UEG Ambassador said at First Contact, it is not fully known why Humanity was given the status of Reclaimers. While that is true, we do know some details, or at least enough to get a blurry picture of the whole," Hood stated.

"What we do know is that there was an Ancient Human civilization with enough might to challenge the Forerunners for galactic dominance. This group of Humans lost their war with the Forerunners, resulting in their society being dismantled and sent back to the Stone Age. While certainly interesting, it doesn't explain how that would have impressed the Forerunners."

Cole nodded, keeping his expression blank of any emotion as Hood continued, "It was what followed these humans that proved their worth to the Forerunners. A parasite, known as the Flood, began attacking their worlds. Ancient Humanity hadn't fallen to just the Forerunners, they had been fighting a two-front war, defeating the Flood at the cost of defeat by the other."

"Eventually, the Forerunners were forced to admit their own defeat. They fired a set of seven Halo Rings, wiping out every piece of life in the galaxy that could support the Flood. It wasn't some random event that destroyed them, but their own attempt to ensure the defeat of the Flood. Since Humanity had defeated the Flood before, we became the Reclaimers, guardians of the galaxy. Pretentious, but that's the literal description."

"I may be proud of the UNSC, of its personnel and its fleets, but even I admit that we are nowhere close to able to perform such a duty. Nor, more importantly, do we want to do so alone. The Forerunner's held up an ideal called the Mantle of Responsibility, hence Wardens of the Mantle. For them, it was an imperialistic piece, meant to justify their superiority. As the UEG has interpreted it, it is a guarantee that no species deserves extinction," Terrence declared.

The Fleet Admiral finished, "The Wardens of the Mantle were formed to uphold this ideal. As Reclaimers, it has become Humanity's job to interpret the Mantle. All members of the Wardens have agreed that the right to exist is inherent to all species, though the UEG populace is overwhelmingly in support of basic sentient rights being included in that."

"So a human civilization once existed that could challenge a galactic superpower, then fell to the pressure of the Forerunners and this Parasite, only for some alien legacy to be given to Humanity?" Cole questioned carefully. At Hood's confirmation of that summary, the Director sat back slightly and stated, "Keeping that from the Council was a good move. Sounds absolutely insane."

"That information is kept classified from the general population as well, as we are dealing with enough social upheaval with the Forerunners as is. The Council had no need to know that much about our history. They'd become fixated on the threat we represented then rather than the idealized version of modern Humanity we presented," Terrence commented.

The Director snorted and agreed, "So they would. They'd do the same if the Alliance revealed our secrets as well. I know that the UEG Ambassador mentioned that UNSC assets had begun examining Forerunner ruins, but I am confident in assuming that you've made significantly more progress than they will think. Must have made more progress, if you're using these Luminary things."

"We have teams deployed to various installations around the galaxy. With the introduction of the Citadel as a factor, we've been focusing our efforts on sites that are at risk of being discovered by the Council exploration fleets. As friendly as we tried to portray the UEG in regards to Forerunner ruins, there are some things that the Council will never been allowed to control," Hood said with conviction.

Cole considered this for a moment and replied, "Such as a superweapon capable of eliminating all life in the galaxy, among others."

"Only a Reclaimer can activate a Halo, but you are correct. All seven rings have been occupied by Warden assets and deactivated for further study. Artificial worlds have also been found, along with fleet anchors and advanced weaponry. Our greatest concern, however, is that a Council fleet will release the Flood from containment. Dealing with that would be...irritating," the UNSC leader observed.

"I thought the Forerunners destroyed the Flood?" Cole asked with concern.

Hood shook his head slightly and clarified, "The Rings wiped out all sentient life. It didn't target the Flood itself, only their food source. Starve them out by bathing the galaxy in death. High Charity, the capital of the Covenant, fell to the Flood. We had to allow parts of Africa to be glassed to contain an infestation on Earth itself."

"If the Alliance finds _any_ presence of the Flood, alert us immediately. There are no active infestations, but the Flood is not something to be trifled with. It is a galactic threat and is to be treated with extreme care. That threat is why all members of the Wardens have agreed to leave Forerunner ruins to the UNSC, as only a Reclaimer can direct Installations to eliminate the Parasite before it breaks out."

Cole sighed at that and responded, "Good to know. It does present an issue for the Alliance, however, as the Council will not tell the Wardens about any Forerunner ruins they discover. If the UNSC suddenly appears at a location, it could create conflict with the Turians." At Hood's look, he clarified, "They can be a bit overzealous when it comes to enforcing security."

"It is considered unlikely that members of the Citadel will be able to understand Forerunner technology. It took the UNSC decades during active war, and even then that was only understanding how to use it with our technology, not how it all works," Terrence stated.

"The Council will ask for Systems Alliance assets to reveal the secrets of any Forerunner ruins that they find. Obviously, the knowledge that the SA is bereft of Reclaimers is going to be heavily regulated. If it was removed when the Exodus fleet fled, however that works, is there any chance of earning that status back?" Preston inquired.

Several seconds passed as Hood considered the query, but he eventually asked, "Is that tactically sound? Even if it strengthens the Systems Alliance, the Council may learn more than you intend."

"Members of the Wardens are allowed to investigate Forerunner ruins and share technology between them. At least, if the aide that the UNSC has given to other members comes in that form," Cole argued.

"We have provided assistance with technology, both in repair and development. The difference, however, is that the UNSC is leading the Wardens in that aspect. This is no longer the Covenant War, Director. Humanity found a challenge, adapted, and overcame it to come out on top. I highly doubt that the Council would be amiable to sharing what is found in Forerunner ruins with the Alliance, or any other Citadel member," Terrence countered.

The Director examined the argument for a short moment before replying, "I agree with that assessment. In the interest of preserving human dominance over the current situation, I would encourage that a careful eye be kept on Forerunner locations. If I get wind of any findings by the Alliance or Citadel, I'll send them your way for ONI to check in on."

Hood let his surprise show as he asked, "You would go so far to prevent the Council acquiring Forerunner ruins? Even knowing that the UNSC could become an enemy by association with the Wardens at the behest of the Council?"

"My oath is to protect Humanity, Fleet Admiral. As Director of Enemy Countermeasures, my job is, or was at this point, to ensure that the Human race would be able to escape a Covenant attack and survive. With the Alliance now establishing hesitant relations with the Wardens, my position will likely become active in arranging for the inevitable war that we discussed earlier, along with planning for future conflict," Cole stated.

"The Alliance will assign you to the rank of Fleet Admiral, or at least the equivalent? Even with your campaigns against the Insurrection?" Hood questioned.

Preston nodded and explained, "I'm the most experienced commander they have. I led the SA to their home on Terra, and I'm defended it since. Several conflicts with pirates on our colonies in Citadel space have also increased confidence in my ability to command the Alliance military effectively."

"Even though my involvement in the deployment of our forces in those cases was merely to give recommendations, it still helps. As the supreme leader of the Alliance military, however, I was given extensive freedom to perform my duties. What I was not required to do was renounce my oath to the UNSC."

Hood glanced sharply at Cole as the Director continued, "So long as I was not discharged from the UNSC, I am still performing as an active officer. That caveat is why the UNSC AIs that joined our Exodus helped the Systems Alliance, as they had orders from a UNSC officer to do so. Technically, as Fleet Admiral of the UNSC Navy, you are my superior officer."

"A rank only in name. I don't have the logistical setup to manage Alliance assets, and throwing orders around would just cause unnecessary issues with the Council," the Fleet Admiral countered with obvious irritation. "I assume you concealed your rank to make sure that I wasn't some pompous idiot who would demand the surrender of the Alliance?"

Cole shrugged and agreed, "There were some bad eggs in the command chain, though it seems that you are competent at least. As for order, that is true enough, but I know ONI can keep its silence well. Alliance Intelligence units have spent decades setting up operations in the Citadel galaxy. The UNSC gets intelligence on Citadel fleet deployments in a war, and the SA can avoid any members of the Wardens that could be itching for a fight."

It took several minutes for the UNSC leader to respond, "Quite the web you've woven, Admiral Cole. Unluckily, the UEG can't accept the SA back into itself as colonies, and I highly doubt that the Alliance wants that at all. For now, continue your operations and I'll see about keeping the Wardens off your back in a war."

"A good distraction might be the Batarians in the Citadel galaxy or pirates in this one," Cole suggested. At the questioning look from Hood, he clarified, "Batarians are slavers, nasty scum, but we haven't been able to do anything against them due to their position as a member of the Citadel. They are heavily involved in piracy as well, and that has begun to spread to this galaxy, as the Citadel Council is too far away to see their presence here as a threat."

"I would be more concerned if the Kig-Yar weren't already being dealt with. I'll alert our border patrols and see about sending some forces to mop up the scumbags. Might be a good opportunity to get Warden and Citadel forces working together to delay a conflict. Maybe avoid it, though I doubt that," Hood replied.

Preston took a moment to recall something and responded, "We have a variety of assets that can be deployed to work alongside your own forces. Several promising avenues are being looked at, though the most likely is one that combines a Citadel Spectre, whatever troops you send, and the two soldiers noted at Contact. That's mostly a publicity stunt, however, as most of the fighting will be done from combined fleets rather than ships with mixed crews."

"That is preferable," the Fleet Admiral granted. "Information security is our highest priority. Any ships we send will be fairly minor, mostly in the corvette and frigate range. While we have the numbers to send cruisers and, well, full battle fleets, it might unnerve the Council too much."

"I assume that the Wardens are declining the Treaties proposed by the Citadel?" Cole inquired.

Terrence scoffed and answered, "Of course. AI is integral to our infrastructure, and their ship limits would have us decommissioning entire armadas. Sharing Forerunner technology is also absolutely prohibited, as you may have gathered earlier. Considering the resources, assets, and information accumulated on and around this world, I believe that you have taken a slightly different route."

"We agreed to their Treaties to join the Citadel for protection, but they can't effectively enforce those documents. Their Ambassador on Terra has inspected Alliance assets and deemed us to be within the bounds of the agreements, but only the most vital of systems is managed by AI for us. The UNSC had issues with producing AI, let alone the Alliance."

"All your facilities have to be hidden, adding another layer of complexity. Risk-reward situation there," the UNSC leader mused.

"Sometimes, you just have yearn for the days when it was Us versus Them. Just the Insurrectionists, Covenant, whatever. None of this political mess," Cole commented.

Hood let out a huff of laughter and agreed, "The enemy was simple, with the only goal being survival. On one hand, it's nice not to worry about Humanity living to see tomorrow. On the other, we now have to deal with tomorrow, and all the galactic politics, species, and threats that it brings."

"Speaking of galactic threats," the Director stated casually, drawing out a glare from Hood. "Don't know if you know this yet, but the Alliance has its own warning of annihilation for the Citadel Council, not that they will listen."

"We've examined the footage of First Contact between the Systems Alliance and the Citadel Council, would be hard not to notice the mention of these things. The Wardens have largely dismissed them as a problem for later, mostly because we haven't noticed the issue being pressed by the Alliance. Has a threat assessment been completed?" the Fleet Admiral asked, all levity gone from his voice.

An opaque holographic screen flashed into existence over the desk, allowing Cole to swipe several windows out of the way before pushing on the side of the projection, causing it to turn so both men could see its contents. As Hood examined the information presented, Preston leaned back and waited. He had read all of the file long ago, and was one of the few with full access to everything inside.

After several minutes, Hood spoke without looking away from the screen as he asked, "Can a copy of this be made for analysis against Forerunner databases?"

"Of course, I can have it transferred to the _Infinity_ before you leave. Any of it look familiar?" Cole inquired.

The Fleet Admiral enlarged one of the drawings included in the file that an Alliance analyst had sketched from memory after their encounter with the Prothean object on Terra. "Not in the slightest. Just another galactic threat for Sierra to deal with," Hood replied eventually.

"I assume that's some special operations branch. You seem very nonchalant about such a threat to our own galaxy, though," Cole commented.

"They're a threat to the Citadel galaxy, not so much our own. From what information I see here, their exact size, capabilities, and nature are unknown, but we know that the Forerunners did not have any outstanding interactions with them. By that, these Reapers either avoided contact or were such a small threat that they weren't worth more than a footnote. Sure, we could be overwhelmed by numbers, but we'd know that it was happening and could take steps to prevent it. The Rings, though, could have been activated without any warning," Hood responded.

Preston acknowledged that as he stated, "True. From the records we have, the Protheans fled into this galaxy to escape the Reapers that had found them. The Relay was closed behind them and they survived here for a time, but ultimately left and attempted to rebuild their empire in the Citadel galaxy. What happened to them from there we don't know."

"That would imply that these Reapers can control the Relays," the UNSC leader commented.

Cole agreed, "If the Reapers created the Relays, then any system with a Relay anywhere close to it would be threatened. Such a threat could cut off the entire communications and travel network of Citadel space with that ability."

"There must be some limits to what civilizations these things attack, else no species would make it past the stone age," Hood pointed out.

"I would assume species advanced enough for interplanetary travel are targeted first. As for what other criteria they use, or why they attack at all, we don't know. The Alliance is currently more concerned with the possibility of the Reapers turning their attention away from the Citadel galaxy," Cole replied.

The Fleet Admiral considered this before inquiring, "Do we have any idea of when they attack? 50,000-year intervals, at least, but any further idea?"

"Analysis of several worlds seems to indicate a period of about fifty millennia, meaning that they're due for arrival. That may very well be subject to change, but it's best to assume the worst," Preston answered.

After a second of thought, Terrence suggested, "If they attacked 100,000 years ago, they could've hit in the middle of the Forerunner-Human war, Human-Flood war, or Forerunner-Flood war. Any one of those conflicts could've scared them into staying away."

"It would explain why they left the Protheans rather than pursuing. If there are no records about these things, though, then I rather doubt it was the Forerunners," the Director said.

Hood nodded in agreement and replied, "Mostly likely the Flood, though I can't say for sure. If they observed a planet entirely infected by the Parasite, it wouldn't surprise me if they just retreated. Curious that the Flood didn't follow them, however."

"From what you've told me, the Flood is a biological menace. Reapers might be a mechanical race, as the only images in the Prothean ruins are of ships rather than any actual species. Ultimately, we will probably never know," Cole stated with an unconcerned tone.

"They have the firepower to eliminate an entire species and have little regard for whatever they destroy. If they've existed for that long, it would indicate that they are extremely dangerous, but I don't see any of that from what you've shown me. A decent threat, to be sure, but not unmanageable," Terrence responded.

Cole took a second to consider the statement before countering, "Their own destruction of advanced species may be what is holding them back. If a species failed to adhere to Artificial Intelligence production containment procedures, then these Reapers could be the result. They either went rampant or were created with faulty logic. Without improvements from their creators, however, they are unable to adapt or grow stronger, as they cannot invent new technology and kill all other species before they have a chance to do the same."

"I find that unlikely," Hood replied. "If the Citadel species are limited by Element Zero, then these Reapers could be secure in their mastery of its capabilities. That does fit with the assumption that the Reapers created the Relays, as any inexperienced species that found the Relays would copy their technology, exactly as the Citadel did."

"What's the purpose, though? Obviously they have some directive or goal, and guiding species to Eezo tech serves no purpose that I see. Exceptions would appear from species that didn't have contact with the Relays. There's millions of stars with planets in the Citadel galaxy, no matter how thorough the coverage, Relays can't reach everywhere," the Director argued.

When Hood didn't respond, he continued, "The Alliance uses Element Zero as an alternative to slipspace, so that we could get Kinetic Barriers and better FTL. While that may have been eclipsed by the UEG's advancement, our similar technology lets us build relations with the Council without them breathing down our necks. Even so, we still have those alternatives."

The Fleet Admiral interrupted, "Which is exactly my point, Director. Where did the Council's knowledge of Mass Effect come from? Protheans, obviously, but then how did they learn about Eezo? It's all one big long chain that seems to point to the Reapers guiding species."

"Unlike any other known species, Humanity developed their technology alone. The Covenant had Forerunner ruins to guide them, and the Citadel had Prothean ruins to do the same. Cultural analysts in the UEG are fascinated by it because none of these species had the opportunity to developed such a diverse civilization as Humanity."

"Asari provide culture, Turians bulk up the military, Salarians provide scientific discoveries, and the rest of the Citadel species fill the gaps. Most former Covenant species were devoted to the military, as their entire culture revolved around the worship of the Forerunners, with no thought to logic, rational thinking, or anything else that has resulted in massive changes to human society," Hood explained.

The Fleet Admiral made sure he had Cole's attention before finishing, "We are the only species to not be guided by alien technology for the majority of our time as an interstellar species. That's why the UEG is so concerned with the introduction of Forerunner technology and concepts. Adaptability has always been Humanity's greatest strength, and relying on aliens will compromise that. Removing the adaptability of Citadel members so that they're reliant on each other is the best way to weaken them if the Reapers control the Relays."

"Let them become dependent on Eezo and interdependent on each other, then shut down the Relays so that each is cut off from every other. An army that fights without coordination might as well be no army at all," Cole stated to show his understanding.

Before Hood could speak again, Preston asked, "What are the implications for the Mantle of Responsibility? If members of the Citadel become useless in a fight against the Reapers and the Wardens are so devoted to the right to exist, then it would require a massive force to counter the coming invasion. Are the Wardens prepared to commit that many resources?"

"There is little choice when it comes to the Mantle. As a threat to the continued existence of life, they will be rendered incapable of continuing their genocidal campaign, if not destroyed outright for their past crimes. The easiest solution to conserve resources to accomplish that would be to prevent any invasion from happening in the first place," Hood replied.

"Wardens suggested joint-operations, and it is a good idea, but there are issues. There's no way that the Citadel would allow a force powerful enough to fight the Reapers within their borders. It would mean war," the Director reminded Hood.

Terrence sighed and grumbled, "Which means we need to solve the problem that the Citadel presents first."

"They've been upgraded from nuisance to problem?" Cole asked, amusement obvious even in the serious conversation.

"We can't have a fight on our hands every time our fleets enter a new system to help. I'll need to present the issue of the Reapers to the Council of Guardians, find out what they think about the situation. For now, we can continue as planned and I'll alert you to any changes that come around. We may end up eliminating the Council entirely if it comes to war," Hood said calmly, even as a frown crossed his face at the suggestion.

The Director matched his superior's expression and responded, "I would prefer if we found an alternative. As flawed as it is, the Citadel would provide much-needed stability in a wartime environment. Even if they didn't fight the Reapers directly, their fleets could police the populace to help morale and prevent criminal incursions to allow the Wardens to deal with the Reapers. The greatest challenge would be finding an individual to unite the members so that they'd stop their political nonsense and cooperate."

"Obviously that person would have to come from the Systems Alliance, and even knowing that there is little we can do about it now. I don't know nor do I care to know every potential candidate for such a task. I'll gladly leave that to your expertise. I'm more concerned with the Relay situation," Hood replied.

"Maintaining contact between species with the assumption that the Relays will be down," Cole said, showing he understood Hood's line of thought.

The UNSC leader nodded and clarified, "If the Citadel galaxy is threatened, their exploration fleets would return to their home galaxy to help in the defense. That's all well and fine, except that this Relay between our galaxies would be disabled by the Reapers, cutting off both communication and travel."

"Requiring their forces to be transported with Carriers from the Wardens if they wished to return, drawing assets away from the frontline," Preston finished for the Fleet Admiral. Several seconds passed as both commanders considered the problem before Cole mentioned, "Why did the Reapers leave the Super-Relay intact if they wished to isolate this galaxy, though?"

Hood perked up at this and replied, "ONI Recon has already shown us visuals of the Intergalactic Relay, a standard Mass Relay, and the Council Relays. There are significant differences between each, in both size and design."

"It's been suggested that the Super-Relay was not made by the same species that constructed the Mass Relay system in the Citadel galaxy. If the Reapers built the Mass Relays, though, then it's doubtful that any society could gather enough resources to build the Super-Relay before being destroyed," Cole countered.

"The Alliance fled the Covenant by traveling through slipspace. If a society capable of slipstream travel were fleeing an enemy and found Element Zero, they could've had the same idea. Hide from their enemies by using an unfamiliar technology," Terrence suggested.

Preston deduced the UNSC leader's idea and responded, "Ancient Humanity. When faced with extinction, any alternative is preferable, and they took it. To avoid detection by the Forerunners, they built the Super-Relays, shut them down, and retreated to the Citadel galaxy until they were powerful enough to rise again."

"It might be a bit of a stretch. Are there any records from the Citadel archives or Super-Relay itself? Studies by the Alliance or Council species?" Hood inquired.

Cole frowned and answered, "No, not that they've shared or that we've been able to obtain. Any attempt by the SA has been thwarted by our inability to field the equipment necessary without drawing attention. As much as we are curious, destabilizing our position on the Citadel could have sparked a war that destroyed what remained of Humanity."

"Fair enough. ONI has examined the Relays in slightly more detail, but we've run into the same problems. Most of our scientific assets are tied up in Forerunner ruins, and deploying a full science team onto an alien relic that fired ships through the void at hundreds of light-years per second wasn't a risk we were willing to take," Terrence replied.

He continued, "That leaves us rather limited in what we can deduce. What would be best is if the Wardens could get a chance to study the Supr-Relay in detail, but that's unlikely. For now, let us stick to hypotheses and planning rather than reacting to what might be shadows."

"We can suggest ideas all day, but I won't be throwing around forces based on this, at least not with the current situation," Cole responded.

"Of course, and neither will the Wardens," Hood agreed. "We may not know their full capabilities or strategies, but we know what they can do with their creation of the Mass Relays. If Ancient Humans managed to figure out the relics, then it's possible that we could as well."

The Director tilted his head in acknowledgement of that and let Terrence continue, "Once Ancient Humans had arrived, they wanted to stay hidden from the Forerunners. The technology of Element Zero allowed them to do this, thus they created the Super Relay and whatever else. If they had the resources to create such a large construct, however, then I would think they'd have a solid presence in the Citadel galaxy."

"Considering their technological ability to engage the Forerunners, I find it doubtful that they would fall to the Reapers easily. Even weakened, Ancient Humanity was apparently extremely dangerous. Adaptable, industrious, and all that," Hood stated thoughtfully.

As the Fleet Admiral paused, Cole asked, "These Ancient Humans were the same as modern Humanity?"

"We do have a massive database that includes information from them, but we have yet to examine it. Technical answer is no, simple answer is yes, and the truth is somewhere in between. Their lifespans were in the hundreds if not thousands of years and they were larger, stronger, and smarter than modern humans. Of course, none of that makes them not-humans," Terrence began explaining.

"At first, it was believed that their technological prowess had allowed them that leap. Spartans in the UNSC have augmentations that improve their capabilities in those aspects, though obviously not to the extent that Ancient Humans were capable of. Recent investigations into our heritage as Reclaimers, however, have changed that."

Preston interjected, "That information wasn't included in this data that you've recovered?"

Hood shrugged slightly and replied, "Perhaps it is. In fact, it probably is. The issue isn't that it isn't there, it's accessing it. We would need to index the entire database. There are other options, but those present their own issues."

"Can't have an AI just go through and do this? Sure, might take a while, but if it gets done in the next decade or so, it should work," Cole suggested.

"In all their existence, the Forerunners never managed to discover everything in this library. It predates them by a factor that we cannot even comprehend. For now, we are stuck with deduction," the UNSc leader answered.

It took several moments for Cole to register that statement before he furrowed his brow and questioned, "What the hell did you find?"

"That is one of the few things that I cannot share. To be honest, we're not even sure ourselves. Just know that the Systems Alliance may be affected by what we find. I cannot say for sure, but it is possible. For now, we will have to rely on intellect and logic rather than knowledge," Hood stated.

Preston sighed and agreed, "Always seems that way. So, how does Humanity's status as Reclaimers make Ancient Humans only somewhat human?"

"It would be more accurate to say that modern humans are less than what we could be. Reclaimers aren't limited to accessing Forerunner technology, they are the beginnings of our species regaining its original characteristics," Hood explained.

"When Ancient Humanity lost its war to the Forerunners, we were devolved as a species, split into various subspecies. While it did neutralize the threat we had presented to the Forerunners, it also posed an insurmountable problem when the Flood attacked. Without any humans left that knew how the Flood was defeated, or even what it was, the Forerunners were doomed to defeat when they failed to contain the Parasite at the first signs of infection."

The Fleet Admiral finished, "Since Humanity was chosen to take up the Forerunner's place in the galaxy, one of their leaders built a gene plan for our species. How that is done or what it means for the future of Humanity is unknown, but it is thought to mean that we will attain our previous glory as traits from these subspecies are folded back into the whole."

"How does the UNSC know this? Why didn't you share this before, when we were discussing the role of Reclaimers?" Cole asked with a slight edge to his voice.

"It is classified information on the basis that it would cause disruptions in human society that aren't appreciated. Obviously that cannot last, but the measure will stay in place until the UNSC can explain the implications to the UEG populace. As for why I didn't talk about it earlier, there's nothing that the Alliance can do about it and there's not enough known to give a complete explanation," Hood explained.

When Cole gave a slight nod of understanding, the Fleet Admiral resumed, "Most of our information has come from one of the UNSC's more _versatile_ assets. An encounter in a Forerunner structure led to his gene plan being accelerated. Post-mission examinations revealed changes to genetic material, enhancements, and a variety of other aspects. Investigations into this revealed the existence of human sub-species, but it's ongoing research so there's not much more I can say with confidence."

"To bring this back to the original question, it is this information which pushes me to the conclusion that Ancient Humans would have fought until the last. Now, the Reapers must have some capability to monitor galactic events to know when to start their attack, meaning that they would have recognized Humanity when the SA joined the Council. If the Reapers and Ancient Humans had fought, I find it extremely unlikely that the Reapers would delay any attack."

"The most likely option that comes to mind is that Ancient Humans simply didn't fight the Reapers, instead hiding away from the Relays. The issue with that, of course, is the lack of humans in the Citadel galaxy and the continued existence of the Reapers. If a civilization as advanced as Ancient Humanity was allowed 50,000 years to fortify, the Reapers would stand no chance in a conflict," Hood stated.

Preston took a short time to think on that before suggesting, "If their goal was to avoid detection by the Forerunners, they would've taken some rather drastic steps, just as the Alliance did. Converting to Mass Effect technology only to get involved in another galactic war would hardly qualify as laying low to avoid the Forerunners."

"True, and they couldn't have hidden from the Reapers while maintaining their technology," Terrence pointed out. He clarified, "One guaranteed method to ensure their survival would be reducing their own technological prowess to such a point that the Reapers would pass over them. That still leaves it up in the air as to their current status."

"Can we just do away with the assumption that they survived and state it as fact?" Cole asked, foregoing any subtly.

Hood laughed slightly and agreed, "Gladly. Dealing with the UEG leaves me talking in circles, my apologies."

The Director waved off the apology and replied, "I'll cut right to the conclusion that I think we've both reached. Ancient Humanity survived the Reapers, somehow, and spent the last 100,000 years rebuilding their society. During that time, their former glory was either forgotten or faded into myth, lost in the struggle for survival."

"At some point over that time, they were greatly altered through contact through Element Zero, causing the mutations that we see today. It is likely that the Protheans made contact with the primitive Asari and altered them, though that's mostly speculation as I hardly see how some of the more, er, 'unique' traits of the Asari could come about naturally."

"Ensign T'soni, the Asari you saw in the SA delegation at First Contact, has been working extensively with theories on the Protheans. Genetic testing has shown similarities between Asari and Humans, as expected considering their body structure is so closely matched. What had always confused us, however, were the other differences that Asari possessed. Their lifespans, their method of reproduction, and their monogendered nature. It didn't fit," Cole explained.

Terrence easily understood the implications and concluded, "Our information on Ancient Humanity fills those gaps. We know of at least one sub-species of humans that had lifespans stretching several hundred years, though they're not extinct. No idea about the reproduction or single gender, that's significantly different from natural humans. The Protheans ability to manipulate human genetics to such a degree is concerning, however."

"It is impressive, but it didn't help them against the Reapers," the Director commented.

"I am not sure that I agree with that," Hood argued. At Cole's questioning look, he clarified, "Currently the Citadel galaxy has more than ten different species wandering the stars, along with several others that once did or will in the future. Yet when we look at the Prothean ruins, there are no different designs."

Preston hummed as he saw what the Fleet Admiral was getting at before replying, "The Protheans altered various species to form them into one force. It would explain the prevalence of and lack of diversity in Prothean ruins. Of course, that also means that once weakness was found in their strategies, they would have an extremely difficult time adapting."

"Especially if the Mass Relays were disabled. Hard to coordinate a defense if there's no communications between worlds. Obviously, genetic alterations could only go so far, but it would explain why the Protheans were so consistent in their architecture as well as how they would be able to alter Ancient Humans," Terrence stated.

"These Humans would not have had the Forerunner alterations since they fled from the conflict. Am I correct in assuming that there's no way for the Asari to be Reclaimers?" Cole inquired.

The UNSC leader considered that for a second before replying, "Agreed. If that didn't disqualify them, then I would think that the Prothean's genetic meddling would, or the mutations from Element Zero. Would those still be mutations, though?"

"They do have a cultural practice of lacing their consumables with Eezo. It's entirely possible that Protheans made those changes. Why have a species consume such an important resource as Mass Effect, though?" Preston asked, obviously already ready with his own answer but wanting to hear Hood's opinion.

Terrence quickly answered, "What is possible with a species that has naturally occurring biotics, can live a thousand years, and has such broad reproductive options? It does fit with our assumption that Protheans tried to alter other species to become Protheans themselves."

Cole tilted his head in agreement and added, "It would allow the Asari to homogenize the galaxy under their species, given enough time and determination. If even one Asari survived the Reapers, they could repopulate the entire species since they aren't required to reproduce with their own species."

"If Protheans could make those types of alterations to humans, though, could they do the same with their own species?" Hood asked.

"From what you've told me, it seems as though human genetics are simply easy to manipulate. The Forerunners did it, though that's not really surprising given their technological advancement. Protheans altered Ancient Humans, even though their society would overall be significantly less advanced than Forerunners. Hell, modern Humanity has had genetic augmentation procedures since the late 21st century," Preston responded.

The Fleet Admiral gave a slight shrug before replying, "We've come a long ways, but there's always new opportunities. This does complicate the coming war, however, even if neither of us speak of our discussion here. Obviously we will not be the only ones to note the similarities between Asari and Humans, considering it's fairly blatant."

Preston sighed at the reminder and replied, "Luckily, cursory genetic analysis shows enough differences to dismiss most suspicions. Even the extensive studies by the Alliance ran into inconsistencies that were only solved just now with what I assume is highly classified UNSC information. Still, anyone with basic knowledge of evolution will know that Humanity and Asari would never have developed so similarly."

"Well, I can immediately think of two ways to deal with that, though both have issues," Hood responded. "First is to just ignore the theories until such a time as it becomes impossible to do so, someone breaks the silence or slips up, or it is convenient and beneficial to let the public know this information."

Cole scowled and argued, "Traditional government tactic, usually just leads to issues. I assume your other suggestion is to just announce that the Asari are modified humans or something like that?"

Terrence confirmed that as he answered, "More or less, though perhaps not in such blunt terms. Maybe something closer to prehistoric Asari being visited by the Protheans or the such. Sounds pretentious and might cause issues with the Republics. The Alliance can try to keep its silence on the issue for as long as it wants, but it does need to be addressed."

"Yes, yes. I'll bring it up with the Parliament. We are already getting information that the Matriarchs that guide the Asari Republics are rather displeased by our ploy with T'soni. Not sure how much is them and how much is her mother, however." At Hood's obvious curiosity, Cole clarified, "Ambassador Benezia T'soni."

"Ah," the Fleet Admiral said, not having many other words for that situation. Cole made a grunt of agreement but was content to remain silent otherwise. After a short time, Hood continued the conversation by asking, "Have there been any interesting discoveries by the corporations in the Citadel galaxy?"

Cole focused on the UNSC leader for a moment before scoffing and questioning, "ONI?"

Hood simply shrugged and answered, "I'm sure they have their suspicions, but I don't need them to tell me that those SA companies aren't wholly legitimate. I've worked with, against, and presided over ONI for four decades, Admiral. I know a covert R&D op when I see one."

"Fair enough. Can't really argue with that, especially if that 'working against' was a purge following the War," Cole replied. At the gesture of agreement from Hood, the Director continued, "Good for that. They seemed to forget who they were fighting for at times."

"They got a lot worse in the years following the War. After an attempt to take over a UNSC vessel that was in a bit of a weird spot in the command chain, I had no choice. Lost a lot of skilled operatives, but the real issue was upper command. Anyways, it's been solved now, and I would prefer to learn this information from you rather than send in agents," Hood explained, drawing the conversation back to his original question.

Preston leaned back and responded, "Understood. Obviously you've already deduced that most corporations in the Systems Alliance are undertaking more disreputable research for the Alliance. While I do not have direct command over them, we do have an agreement. They do research and development for the SA that the Council has declared illegal, and our patrols conveniently miss some more questionable facilities on their worlds."

"Most of the corporate planets are in the Terminus. The Alliance lets them keep their fleets to fight off pirates, and the Citadel doesn't care enough to bother bringing it up. None of these facilities host any other technology that the Alliance considers high-risk, such as slipspace information or Artificial Intelligence. Our cyber-security, and therefore your's as well, is secure from the Citadel, but that doesn't help with physical agents. There's some genetic augmentation research, Genophage cure research, and Rachni experimentation, amongst other miscellaneous projects hidden under the guise of plausible deniability."

At the mention of the supposedly extinct race, Hood seemed slightly amused and interjected, "Council was nearly as thorough as they thought?"

"Of course not," Cole answered with a scoff. "We found a vessel out in dark space with a Rachni Queen egg on it. Gave it to corporation researchers and told them to figure out why the Rachni attacked and how to fight them. Haven't gotten anything back, but the project is still secure so I'm not worried about quick results."

"That can't be your only measure for conducting clandestine research or operations. Considering the amount of material on and around this planet, I'd expect a fairly large intelligence organization as well. Maybe one connected to the Alliance and another that could be discredited as rogue," Hood stated in a suggestive tone.

Preston snorted and replied, "They're called Cerberus, a faction that's technically rogue but follows my direction alone. They guard the operations in the Citadel galaxy that can't be entrusted to private companies. Most of our intelligence is gathered through them, as well as a figure called the Shadow Broker."

Before Terrence could ask, Cole clarified, "Intelligence aggregator. A useful resource for the moment, but something that the Wardens might want to watch out for. His agents have attempted breaches on Alliance data systems before, and I know they've succeeded with some less important ones. The UEG might have its systems secured by AI, but the rest of your allies will not."

"Noted. If they threaten our operations, this 'Broker' will be eliminated, as useful as they may be. Seems that the Council is rather lax with their inspections and patrols if they can miss so much. How do they enforce their guidelines on the construction of dreadnoughts or sharing the technology found in Prothean ruins?" Hood asked, confident that Cole would deal with the Rachni situation in a suitable fashion.

"Most species simply allow Council patrols throughout the entirety of their territory, making inspections fairly trivial. Most of the time, those are carried out by Spectre's due to the freedom they're given by the Council. For the Systems Alliance, however, we have kept the location of Terra a closely guarded secret," Cole explained.

The Director continued, "While it has caused issues with the Council, the presence of a Council Ambassador on Terra has allowed us to maintain decent, if not great, relations. Inspections on Alliance dreadnought numbers are carried out by another Asari who came with the Ambassador. From what I've seen and heard from one of my Admirals who works with Ambassador T'soni, the two of them were sent due to their experience and high standing as Matriarchs and to get them out of the public's reach."

"Oh? A controversial figure for a controversial species?" Hood asked, obviously amused at the though.

Cole waved his hand slightly to show his uncertainty but still answered, "It's some cultural thing. Apparently it's frowned upon for two Asari to have children. No, I don't know why, and to be honest I don't really care. Benezia is an experienced diplomat and her partner knows enough to pass the Alliance on our dreadnought limits. It works for the Alliance well enough that I don't want to disrupt the established relations between the Parliament and Ambassador."

"You've met this Ambassador?" Terrence asked.

"A few times, most recently when discussing the Alliance's concerns about the Citadel meeting with what we thought was the Covenant. I'm sure I'll hear from her again soon when the Republics give her orders," the Director replied.

Hood frowned slightly and inquired, "She knows about this world and the fleet in orbit?"

"Hell no! We've met on Arcturus Station and on Terra. If she knew about this world then the Council would have already sentenced us as they did the Quarians, Krogan, and Rachni," Cole explained.

"True enough," the Fleet Admiral responded. After a second of though, he resumed, "What is her impression of the Alliance? It's people, military, culture, all that."

Preston considered that for a moment before replying, "Obviously I cannot say for certain, but from what I've observed it is decently positive. I would like to note, however, that Terra is more similar to a large Outer Colony or small Inner Colony of the UEG, so the infrastructure is much more spread out. It has a very different feel than the cities of Reach, Earth, or the large Inner Colonies."

"When the Council presses for an Ambassador to the UEG, they'd be meeting with the Senate on Earth. If this Ambassador Benezia T'soni has experience with humans in the Systems Alliance and is willing to travel aboard our vessels, she would certainly be welcome to meet with the UEG Senate and President," Hood commented.

"Trying to steal our Ambassador?" Cole replied with amusement.

Terrence smiled slightly and answered, "Just trying to give a different perspective on Humanity. One planet doesn't represent the species as a whole."

"True. I'll discuss it with the Alliance Parliament. Seeing the differences between Earth and Terra might delay war slightly longer, though I highly doubt it'd stop it altogether," Preston replied.

"Of that I have no doubt. If I may, I have a couple unimportant questions to ask before I leave. Why the change in date for the Alliance? Any information on why the Citadel's time keeping is so similar to our own? Why did the Alliance name their capital planet 'Terra', of all things?" the UNSC leader questioned.

The Director sighed and explained, "As misguided or violent as they may have been, the Insurrectionists weren't campaigning for the destruction of the Human homeworld. Well, their leadership wasn't, some of the more extreme followers may have been. The goal of the movement was to separate from Earth's rule, not destroy the human race with an alien menace."

"We thought that Earth was destroyed. Thus, the world that we settled on would be the Homeworld of Humanity. Seeing as there was no name that had great support, the Alliance just went with that. Obviously that's a bit of an issue now that we know that Earth is still intact, but I'm content to let the politicians deal with that," Cole explained.

"As for the date thing, people just wanted it to be some time before the UNSC was formed. There's no real rhyme or reason to it, it just happened to be that way. I assume that the time similarities have something to do with Ancient Humanity, but maybe not. I don't know, nor care. Two Citadel kilometers is one Human kilometers, one Human second is two Citadel seconds. That's all there is to it. Automatic translators can simply convert between the units, so I'd advise just ignoring it."

The Fleet Admiral snorted softly and agreed, "Sounds fine to me. I'll be in contact, Admiral Cole."

"Understood, Fleet Admiral Hood," Preston replied.

* * *

 **Halo: Warfleet explicitly points out the Forerunner Luminary in the Infinity's sensor bank. Think what you will, but it's canon and has some interesting implications.**

 **Florians are one of about 20 sub-species of humans that were created after the defeat of Prehistoric Humanity by the Forerunners. These sub-species were created to prevent Humanity from ever threatening the Forerunners again by separating the strengths of humans. That is canon, not something I just made up.**

 **With the Reclamation and the Forerunners deciding that Humanity would inherit the Mantle of Responsibility, I think that the Librarian's gene plan is supposed to unite these branches once more. Interesting, yes?**

 _-evevee_


	13. Gentle Fisticuffs

Disclaimer: I own no franchise mentioned in this work. Halo belongs to 343, Mass Effect to Bioware.

 **Apparently a good number of readers are desperate for the action to begin. While I don't necessarily agree with that, it was easy enough to push back the chapter I had prepared to release today and instead write up a plausible situation for combat.**

 **Does this chapter need to be written up? Well, no, not really, but it will give us a break from the political happenings that I've been covering in the last few chapters.**

 **To be clear, the major action is still a ways off. Since an immediate First Contact war did not happen, tensions will take time, and, oddly enough, REASONS to grow. Meeting a new species isn't all about how big of a stick they wield, it's what it defends, what makes it strong. The people, the culture, the economic, social, and societal drives that necessitate a defense from forces that would threaten that.**

 **Will there be pointy stick waving? Well, yes, because it's fun and I like my pointy sticks. Ultimately, however, I want to explore why each side in such a conflict thinks that they are correct, how they justify their cause as being above that of their opponents. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter who wins, it matters if their reasons for fighting maintain their validity.**

 **Anyways, enough with the philosophical underpinnings of the story, now for Review Responses! If you don't care, skip to the breakpoint below. For responses, later reviews will be listed first, because I'm lazy and can't be bothered to reverse-order them. To those I do not explicitly mention, thank you for reviewing!**

 **To all reviews mentioning the Asari theory presented last chapter: At the moment, the discussion between Cole and Hood relating to that topic was theories, and theories are very rarely correct without extensive refinement. I can tell you that Asari did NOT evolve independently of any tampering. Both because it goes against rather important ME canon and because the idea that Humanity and Asari naturally evolved to be so identical is blatantly ridiculous. To give an idea of how insane it would be for our evolutions to match independently, see the bottom AN.**

 **Foureyed Giraffe: Glad you're enjoying the story! As for the Assembly, the canon is that it is an organization of Artificial Intelligences devoted to the continued survival of Humanity. They voted to remove Reclaimer status from any Alliance citizens, but they needed Abaddon, the Precursor AI that, well, IS the Domain, to do so. Because you caught that, I'll give you a pointer: Just because the Assembly decided to remove Reclaimer status from the Alliance does not mean that they were the first to do so. Yes, joint operations will reveal some technologies, though more on that when we get there.**

 **Fer82: Yep, civilian dealings will be coming soon. I figured that getting things straight with honesty would be better so as to avoid some confusion when the politicians start mucking things up.**

 **SierraB312: All your points about Ancient Humanity are valid, but please don't assume that Cole and Hood are correct, as I said above. I understand it's confusing, but they won't just magically know the truth. Just because it confuses readers doesn't mean that I'm going to be having characters know stuff that they have no business knowing, at least not yet.**

 **Guest: There are 4 fighting ground vehicles in the Mass Effect series. At least 2 were made by the Systems Alliance. One is from the Andromeda Initiative. One is from the Krogan. No, the Citadel does not have hundreds of other vehicles, as far as I can tell, they never developed any ground fighting vehicles, or if they did, they were all gone by the ME series.**

 **GrimmKenway8646: I promise that the focus on the main characters is coming! Glad to hear that you are enjoying the story, and thank you.**

 **DireProphet: Maybe important Forerunner stuff, but the Covenant used Forerunner tech, so that feature can't be in everything. Really, though, how will the Citadel get to study Forerunner installations with Monitors?**

 **Elim Garak: Are you saying that characters take the stuff they say as fact or that the readers do? I think I made it fairly clear (IE, explicitly stated) that both Cole and Hood acknowledged that they were just throwing around ideas. I also made it clear in my AN that nothing stated as conjecture should be taken as immutable fact, because, well, it isn't.**

 **Anyways, some action this chapter. Not the implosion of everything, but a little something to get some feathers ruffled. Apologies for the delay, all work and no editing makes evevee slightly late in crediting this story.**

* * *

 **March 14, 2589/13th Day of 20th Month, 2458**

 **Slipstream Space**

 **UNSC** _ **Serenity**_

As Rear Admiral James Cutter entered the bridge of the UNSC _Serenity_ , all idle personnel paused to give him a salute which he promptly returned. The bridge crew who had neglected to respond to his presence beyond glancing at him were forgiven, as the Admiral knew that they were undertaking some important task or another that was essential for the coming assault. Executing their jobs well took higher priority than idle gestures for the crew of the _Serenity_ 's bridge, as was common on many ships with established crews.

When no shouts for assistance or requests for orders came his way, Cutter continued to approach the holotable. The orange avatar of Isabel appeared beside Serina's light blue equivalent as a large tactical map of the planet they had targeted floated alongside the two. Small icons representing ships, stations, and other assets moved above the surface, their predicted orbital trajectories being updated in realtime by the _Serenity_ 's advanced sensor banks. A small timer was counting down towards their exit from slipspace in the upper corner of the display, though Cutter ignored that in favor of addressing the two AI.

"Analysis of the target?" he asked, coming to a stop beside the table with his hands clasped behind his back.

"All vessels are holding formation in orbit of the planet. Our estimated time of arrival is less than thirty minutes," Serina reported.

Isabel added, "All support ships of the battlegroup are reporting as ready to handle the evacuation. Ground elements have almost finished their preparations as well, though they will be delayed until a flight path can be cleared to the surface. I will deal with any logistical issues, as planned."

"Good work. Still no sign of the Council's forces on the scanners?" Cutter questioned.

Serina shook her head and replied, "We're in the clear. I have detected several groups passing through realspace relatively near us, most likely pirates or other criminals, but nothing that needs to be dealt with."

The Rear Admiral nodded but stayed silent as he examined the projection of the planet they were attacking. Called Logasiri by the Batarians who had colonized it, the world was famous for the brutal conditions for the slaves who worked beneath its surface. It had been chosen for the operation due to its location in the Terminus Systems as well as its proximity to the famed Omega station.

By launching an assault on such a world, the UNSC, and by extension the Wardens, were showing their ability to conduct military operations outside of their immediate sphere of influence. It would both allow the UNSC to begin building a reputation amongst the populace in the Terminus Systems as well as harass the Batarians. Why High Command wanted to prod a member of the Citadel in such a way was above Cutter's pay-grade, but he figured that they had their reasons.

What the overall plan was didn't matter, however, as Cutter had his orders and a battlegroup to fulfill them, so that was what he would do. He glanced at Isabel to get her attention as he asked, "The Guardian is ready to activate if necessary?"

"All ships are ready for combat, though I don't think we'll need that much to win this," the orange AI responded easily.

James let out noise of acknowledgement of that statement but countered, "Never hurts to use overwhelming force. Keep all sub-vessels prepared to launch to guard our flanks if reinforcements arrive for the enemy, but alert the commanders that their deployment is unlikely. We've been given clearance for orbital bombardment of military targets, but I would prefer to minimize collateral damage. Wait for my signal to initiate any strikes on the surface."

"Understood," Serina responded. "I will coordinate any targets with Isabel, if that is acceptable."

"Of course. I would prefer to have the _Serenity_ out of the line of fire when we're dropping rounds is all. Ground teams won't be deploying until the sky is clear anyways, so we can get some clean shots off before they land," the Rear Admiral replied.

With those orders given, the avatar's of the two AIs disappeared as they went back to work elsewhere. Cutter, meanwhile, examined the projected battlefield and tried to determine how the enemy would fight against them. Various strategies were dismissed easily while others took slightly longer to show disadvantages.

The reason for his indecision was the nature of the enemy that he had been deployed against.

When Cutter had been the captain of the _Spirit of Fire_ , the enemy of the UNSC had been Insurrectionists and the Covenant. Seeing ship to ship engagements with the Innies was rare, since they knew they could not challenge the naval might of the military, and the _Spirit_ had never fought against the Innies herself since her refit was in 2520, just five years before the beginning of the Covenant War.

Cutter had served on ships that had fought stolen Insurrectionist vessels, however, he had never been in command in any of those fights. From his subordinate position, though, Cutter still knew that the Innies would run sooner than fight, and what fighting they did with their stolen craft was sloppy and uncoordinated. Few Innies had any training in operating ships, let alone the military vessels they used against the UNSC.

Fights against the Covenant, on the other hand, were something that he was no stranger to. Going against the technologically superior alien hegemony was an entirely different fight from those against the Insurrection, and it showed. The UNSC was not fighting enemies that would hide amongst the populace but one that would simply steamroll any defenses. Instead of tactics and clever maneuvers, the massive vessels of the Covenant had blasted anything in their way before killing any civilians they found.

To counter that, the UNSC relied on their superior Artificial Intelligence and strategic capabilities, along with secrecy and informational security. Cutter had seen the records on how the War had ended, however, and he knew as well as every other person privy to that information that Humanity had survived through luck. It was only the Great Schism, caused by the Prophets and the destruction of Alpha Halo, that had allowed them any chance to survive, if not win.

Neither of those strategies were applicable in the coming attack, at least not directly. It was certainly a possibility that the enemy ships would adopt similar tactics to those used by the UNSC against the Covenant, but even that was doubtful. They did not have the computing abilities nor experience to allow AI cyber-attacks or pinpoint accuracy for their Mass Accelerators.

What the Batarians, and seemingly all Citadel ships, had was an impressive reload speed for those weapons. Against the unshielded hulls of pre-war UNSC vessels, they would've posed an appreciable threat. While it was doubtful that a single Citadel round would be able to penetrate the meters of molecularly enhanced titanium armor that human ships utilized, the quantity of fire would have proven significantly more problematic. No matter how strong the armor, multiple hits would weaken and ultimately breach physical barriers.

Of course, the same was true with Energy Shields, but the barriers of magnetically contained plasma did not require repair nor were they prone to random failures if a lucky shot got through. It was that advantage that Cutter was counting on, as intelligence given to him when he was assigned this mission seemed to indicate that the Citadel did not know of Energy Shielding.

How ONI had figured that out was certainly a good question, but not one that Cutter was concerned with. The Citadel species' confidence in Mass Effect technology was understandable, as they hadn't seen anything different until they met the Systems Alliance. Their perception was only strengthened when the Alliance deceived the Council with inferior pre-War civilian technology.

Taking these factors into account, Cutter was leaning towards the rather ironic strategy of using simple brute force to break the ranks of the defenders. As critical as Cutter was of the strategic aspect of the Covenant, he had to admit that it was unbelievably intimidating to see ships simply ignoring enemy fire as they entered the battlefield. Unlike the Covenant, however, the UNSC was not above using their own ships as oversized battering rams, a habit that the Banished had adopted as well.

This particular tactic had become increasingly popular when its effectiveness was proven by the UNSC _Infinity_ above the Forerunner planet of Requiem. Combined with the power of human Magnetic Accelerator Cannons, the close range combat prowess of UNSC ships was formidable.

Getting into range to utilize those advantages had been the main problem during the Covenant War, especially with the strong hulls of the enemy vessels. Citadel ships did not have that advantage, instead relying on long-range fire provided by their dreadnoughts while close-range combat was usually limited to fighters and frigates. For them, it had worked, as everything that approached their fleets had to do so through realspace, and any enemy fleets had the same disadvantages in various ranges of engagement.

Slipspace was the key to Cutter's strategy in this attack, as it would allow his battlegroup to emerge on top of the Batarian defenses. Considering Serina's current projected exit vectors, he was fairly sure that that assessment would not only be correct but quite literal as well. So long as she kept the _Serenity_ in one piece, however, he wasn't too concerned about that issue.

When no further preparations or directions came to mind, Cutter sent out a mental command to his neural lace for the holotable to highlight ground assault locations. Available intelligence on the mines underneath the surface of the planet was significantly more limited than orbital territory, as was to be expected with underground installations.

Due to the extensive tunneling that the Batarians had achieved with their enslaved labor, it was almost impossible to know exactly where large concentrations of civilians were versus military targets. As much as Cutter might have wanted to simply level the entire planet with orbital strikes, he recognized the Public Relations stunt that ONI's Section Two was attempting to pull by saving a bunch of slaves. While the spooks probably didn't care all that much, Cutter knew that they were monopolizing on the opportunity to drive a wedge between the Batarians and Citadel.

Thus, instead of protracted orbital bombardment, Cutter had been ordered to neutralize all ground threats with the forces provided to him. This caveat had proved to be the largest hurdle to overcome due to the warren of tunnels that made up the mines of Logasiri.

Collapsing the tunnels to bury Batarian forces alive had been considered, but that also presented a threat to the slaves that would inevitably be down there as well. Clearing the planet with numbers alone was completely out of the question, as it would require far too many ships and troops to be viable without revealing the strength of the UNSC to the Citadel, not to mention a waste of assets when there were better methods.

Eventually, some scientist somewhere had suggested breaking out chemical weapons to sedate, incapacitate, or otherwise disable anything in the mines. Considering that Logasiri had no atmosphere, all the mines on the surface were sealed, creating the perfect environment for such an attack. Some defenders with exoatmospheric gear might be able to avoid the fate of their comrades, but ODST and Marine fireteams could deal with them easily enough.

As Cutter went over this plan, he was once again struck by how different combat against the Citadel species was from previous conflicts. Utilizing chemical weapons against the Innies was ill-advised, if not impossible, as the insurgents hid in large civilian populaces. Deploying chemical weapons against the Covenant was simply useless, as Elites had energy shields to survive, Unggoy already had breathing masks, and Mgalekgolo could cease breathing for up to a year. It might have affected the Jiralhanae, but that was little help against the unstoppable tide of the other Covenant species. Using such weaponry on the Kig-Yar and other post-War nuisances was never necessary, as they were never a direct threat to UEG space and any ground invasion would be precluded by orbital bombardment to kill rather than incapacitate.

To achieve the non-lethal incapacitation of the populace, the UNSC had supplied Cutter's battlegroup with weaponized 3-Quinuclidinyl benzilate, an ancient but effective chemical that would render the victims delirious and unable to coordinate their defenses. Deployment would be handled by Longsword bombers assigned to targets identified by ONI and the battlegroup's own observation teams.

Any outstanding issues would be handled by the Spartan IV's assigned to the _Serenity_ , though Cutter didn't think that it would be necessary. Many S-IV teams were being sent down to establish beachheads alongside the ODSTs to gain experience fighting against Mass Effect technology with several held back if needed for a quick deployment, but there was no pressing need for them in this battle.

Cutter's use of land vehicles was extremely limited by the field in this attack, though several were to be deployed to provide for surface operations command on board Mammoth transports. With the deployment of chemical agents, however, it was unlikely that those assets would provide anything more than simple logistical support for Isabel to coordinate.

Now finished with his last review of the engagement plan, Cutter had no further insights. Some of the elements would probably be disrupted by the Batarians, as was to be expected in combat, but that could be dealt with when it happened. Unforeseen circumstances withstanding, the attack on Logasiri would be far from difficult, especially compared to the battles that Cutter had directed from the _Spirit of Fire_. Probably comparable to the raids against the Kig-Yar that Cutter had participated in after the _Spirit_ was recovered by the UNSC.

A quick glance towards the timer on the holotable drew the Rear Admiral from his thoughts as he noticed that their exit from the slipstream was drawing close. The projection above the surface changed once again from the targeted planet to the field of battle where the UNSC battlegroup would meet the Batarian defenses.

Of course, since that was the void of space in the middle of the asteroid field that Logasiri was a part of, there wasn't much to show. Most of the debris that would've threatened them had been pulled in by the small planet's gravitational field, leaving the orbit clear of hindrances or cover for either side.

With Logasiri cut out of the frame, the projected progression of the coming battle was displayed. As the fight went on, Cutter would manipulate individual ships if he changed tactics or felt that a commander was deviating from their assigned paths. Now prepared, he turned towards the front of the bridge and took a seat in the Captain's chair to observe their exit from slipspace. Shortly afterwards, Serina brought the battlegroup up to combat alert alpha, and while there was no visible change in the bridge crew, the atmosphere grew more tense as anticipation built.

They did not have to wait long, as within a minute the flickering dimensions of the slipstream gave way to to the bright stars of reality, though the view was greatly obscured by the dreary sight of Logasiri floating before them. The dull surface of the small world served to highlight the few Batarian ships that were in near them. Barely a moment passed for all present to process this before slight vibrations emanated from the lower decks more than a kilometer away.

Cutter glanced at Serina as the AI reported, "The battlegroup is clear of slipspace, sir. Two enemy frigates and a cruiser are down, and the _Thunderstruck_ is reporting minor damage to her port bow. No casualties, superficial damage to armor plating from a missile housing cover breaking off, damage control is not being dispatched. All other vessels are reporting green across the board."

"Understood. Clean up what forces remain here. Isabel, make sure that no communications leave the system through any means," Cutter ordered promptly.

"Of course. Ships are holding their courses and approaching the enemy. So far, I have detected no coordinated response. Would you like me to deploy the ground teams early?" the logistics Intelligence inquired.

The Rear Admiral thought about it for a second before replying, "Negative. It's sloppy and an unnecessary risk. Alert them that they will deploy soon, but no transports are allowed to disembark until we establish orbit." A nod from the orange avatar was the only response before she disappeared to carry out her duties.

Cutter's attention was directed forward once more as the deck shuddered slightly. Instead of a collision with another vessel, however, this feeling was caused by an undersized MAC round leaving the ship. Glancing up, Cutter noted that the bow was aimed at an enemy vessel that had been too slow to leave the _Serenity_ 's engagement envelope. While he couldn't see the round due to the lack of an atmosphere as well as its speed, it was far too easy to see the effects as the massive chunk of metal impacted against a Batarian frigate.

A slight flash was visible for a moment as the ship's Kinetic Barriers tried and failed to hold their own against the shot. Visible tears in the hull material appeared as it too attempted to shield those inside from the inevitable, only to be outclassed by the massive round. A second after the shot exited the ship, it began to break apart, not in an explosion of atmosphere and material but slowly as the Mass Effect field failed and inertia broke it to pieces.

The only thought that the sight brought to Cutter's mind was how different it felt to be on this side of such a display. Going by the fact that the enemy frigate was still in existence, he knew that the shot had been greatly underpowered, probably utilizing a small 250,000 kilogram MAC round at a decent velocity, maybe a thousand or so kilometers a second. Going by those figures, the round would've hit with about thirty megatons of explosive force, with some taken by the Kinetic Barrier but most wasted as the round penetrated the weak armor and simply continued on into the void.

Once again Cutter appreciated the versatility of the CR-03S8 MAC cannons installed on all Infinity-class vessels. The ability to fire a variety of calibers at mixed velocities had been helpful many times, both in providing support for ground troops as well as avoiding collateral damage when dealing with enemy ships. If needed, they could fire a three million kilogram round at velocities in excess of twelve thousand kilometers per second from each of the four barrels, bringing more than two hundred gigatons of explosive force to bear on a single target.

Seeing as Covenant ships during the War hadn't been able to withstand the rounds from ODP platforms, nothing short of a celestial body or Forerunner ruin would require that amount of destructive power. Thus, the capability to fire smaller packages from the main guns was implemented. These smaller packages could be anything from small MAC rounds to ground vehicles, so long as it fit in a delivery shell designed for the 27-meter bore cannons.

Unluckily, the _Serenity_ would be rather limited in using that asset today as the flagship of the battlegroup focused on the ground assault. Several ships had already jumped back into slipspace to make their way to other concentrations of Batarian ships around the planet while Broadsword fighter formations wove twisting paths between the wreckages to eliminate any survivors. Since their attack had been so unexpected, the opposing craft had not been grouped, with ships and smaller transports spread out as they orbited the planet.

With their beachhead now established, it became a waiting game due to Cutter's orders to hold back the ground assault. Considering that the nearest Mass Relay was over in the Omega system, a known center of criminal activity, Cutter was not concerned about reinforcements. All communications in the system were jammed and any vessel capable of FTL travel had been or would be destroyed.

After several short minutes, Serina's avatar appeared beside the leader of the battlegroup as she reported, "All ships have been eliminated. Multiple small craft are still present and have been marked for our squadrons. Further analysis of the surface confirms defensive structures around hangars for enemy transports."

"Understood, bring us into low orbit. You have permission to put a few rounds on target with the Onagers. Once the Pelicans are away, maneuver the _Serenity_ above the military facilities that have been identified. Successive strikes from sub-vessel MACs are authorized. Isabel, ground teams are cleared to leave the battlegroup," Cutter ordered.

Serina gave a nod and disappeared once more as the massive bulk of the _Serenity_ began to descend towards the surface below. Several other ships followed, more to keep the formation intact and less for protection since every orbital threat had been dealt with.

His commands given, Cutter sat back in his chair and watched the beginnings of the assault. Multiple streaks of light appeared as Serina utilized the ten Onagers on the side of the ship to destroy any ground-based surface defenses. There was little curvature on their path through Logasiri's trace atmosphere due to the light gravity, leaving it clear where they would impact, even if it was invisible to the naked eye.

As they flew high above the surface, the _Serenity_ and her escort slipped into the shadow of the dark side of the small planet. It became clear just how little the world had been populated as Cutter could only pick out one or two sources of light from the Batarian agricultural habitats. The sleek forms of several Longsword bomber squadrons flew by the massive UNSC vessel, though their dark forms quickly became indistinguishable from the shadowed hemisphere below.

With more and more ground assets disembarking for their part in this assault, Cutter couldn't help but glance over at the Forerunner Guardian off the _Serenity_ 's starboard bow. Even without the light of the system's star, the silver metal still seemed to glow with strength and support. The Rear Admiral knew that a Spartan team was almost certainly aboard the vessel, even if he hadn't been personally informed of its participation.

Whatever their orders were, however, was no concern of his, so long as they didn't interfere with his assault. Cutter had multiple Spartan-IV teams under his command to deploy as he saw fit, as was the case with most UNSC vessels at this point, but he knew as well as every other service member that the Spartan branch stretched far further than that. Their specialty was clandestine operations that the public didn't need to hear about, and they were good at what they did.

Spartans were assigned to ships and facilities to give the branch a public face, something for civilians to look at as a symbol of Humanity's recovery from the War. It was what the public didn't see that really showed the difference between regular UNSC soldiers and the Spartan branch, though. Cutter had seen that himself when Red Team had joined the crew of the _Spirit of Fire_ so many years ago.

As much as he appreciated having an entire Spartan IV complement to deploy as needed from the _Serenity_ , he could see the difference in how they fought. Red Team had moved with fluidity and skill, each knowing what every other member of the team was doing at all times. The IVs, on the other hand, had not grown up together, even if they had spent years working within their own teams. While they were certainly skilled, they required direction and orders, unlike the S-IIs who simply blew through any resistance against them when given a target.

If there was a Spartan team on that Guardian, then their purpose would be to assess Citadel capabilities. It was no secret amongst UNSC service members that the Citadel was outclassed, but by how large a margin was unknown. Of course, that was certainly a part of why the _Serenity_ and her battlegroup were here, though Cutter knew it wasn't the only reason.

Flashes of light drew the Rear Admiral's attention away from the Forerunner Construct as Pelican's breached the upper atmosphere of Logasiri. Aboard would be several thousand marines, Spartans, and ODSTs, all equipped for the coming conflict, what little of it there would be with the planet inundated with QNB. A quick order through his neural lace brought up a map of the surface with targeted locations highlighted in red, allowing Cutter to lean forward and begin directing the planetary assault as necessary.

* * *

 **13th Day of 20th Month, 2458 (March 14, 2589)**

 **Logasiri**

 **Batarian Agri-Habitat 03**

Pren Gapbarah hated waking up as it was, let alone earlier than he expected. His hatred extended beyond the confines of his bed to encompass the planet and everyone on it, something that wasn't helped by the inherent danger of operating in the Terminus Systems. While the Hegemony could pay off the largest pirate groups through Omega's leader, there were still smaller groups that would attack any target that they saw as vulnerable. With its small number of ships as well as harsh environment, Logasiri was seen as such a target.

Leaving would have been the ideal solution, except that the pay was decent and he had nowhere else to go. For all its boring, worthless, and utterly depressing atmosphere, Logasiri was at least somewhere Pren could be without needing to worry about anything beyond shooting some idiots from time to time.

With a grunt, the Batarian soldier rolled from his position and began to get into his armor as the alarms of the agricultural habitat continued to blare around him. Running on automatic as he was, it only took a couple minutes for Pren to armor up to kill whatever had disturbed his rest. Before he walked out, the Batarian idly considered leaving his helmet behind before deciding against it. Getting a bit of sleep behind the opaque visor might be possible if the defense turrets shot down most of the incoming raiders.

Now that he was connected to the communications network, Pren could pick out the panicked reports of multiple small craft inbound. He was slightly confused as to why they were so concerned as nothing could get through the Kinetic Barriers of the agricultural habitats without going through the hangars, which were defended by anti-aircraft guns. A frigate might be able to break through, but the Hegemony ships above the colony would be able to handle anything that small.

Keeping his attention on the comms, the Batarian soldier dutifully made his way to his post at the entrance to the mines. Apparently every other guard posted there was listening in to the chaos as well as Pren barely received a glance when he arrived. This came as no surprise to the Batarian as any thoughts of sleep had fled on his march over.

From what he had picked up from the frantic shouts, all communications had been lost with the other mines around the planet as well as the fleet in orbit. The smaller craft had apparently broken off before they came within range, likely doing reconnaissance, though that sounded too intelligent for the usual suicidal pirate crew. Pren frowned as he considered the implications of that. If those fighters were just doing flyovers to assess the defenses, then that implied that they had some sort of means to take them out as well, or at least break through.

That conclusion was supported as within the next minutes several rumbling vibrations emanated throughout the agri-habitat and surface of Logasiri. Several choice words left Pren as he stumbled slightly at the shaking and bemoaned the inability to see the surface outside so that he knew what they were dealing with. From the feel as well as the sound, it seemed that their enemy was not above using large explosives near a pressurized environment. Pren only hoped that their enemies would hesitate to begin orbital strikes if they managed to break through the defenses in orbit.

Suddenly, the comm channels were flooded with sightings of fast attack craft closing on the agri-habitat. With the anti-air defenses down, the hangar was open to attack from those ships, which brought up the question of why they were headed towards the habitat. The massive dome of metal and synthetic glass was protected by Kinetic Barriers strong enough to hold off orbital bombardment, let alone some bombers or whatever other fighters came near them.

Pren glanced around as his fellow defenders and noticed their lack of concern over the attack. Most of them were simply standing or sitting around waiting for orders or for the comm network to report enemies. All of them were lacking helmets, though Pren was sure that their Kinetic Barriers were still active. As much as he was considering removing his headgear, the Batarian soldier elected to keep it on until this odd attack had passed.

* * *

High above and several dozen kilometers away from the Batarian agricultural habitat and mines beneath, a squadron of Longsword bombers blasted through the little atmosphere that Logasiri possessed as they waited for a target to be designated for their payload. Their wait was not long as Isabel quickly slotted them into an attack run on one of the installations identified from orbit.

With the outer defenses destroyed and no apparent response from those inside, it was a prime target. It took less than a minute for the exoatmospheric craft to traverse the rather short distance to their drop zone as the lack of air resistance allowed the bombers to accelerate to high speeds quite easily.

As they approached the target, each pilot keyed in the authorization codes for their bomb bays, a safeguard to ensure against accidental or unapproved drops. Now ready, the group of small UNSC ships dipped down to do a flyby of the dome that they would hit. At a precisely calculated time, the chemical weapons in each fighter detached, floating down towards the enclosure while their transports quickly closed their bay doors and blasted back to the vessels in orbit for more ordinance.

Below, each of the large weapons slowly picked up speed as the planet's light gravity began to take hold. The glorified tubes eventually picked up enough speed to orient themselves towards their targets as small adjustments were made to the guiding fins by an onboard computer. There was no resistance as they passed through the Kinetic Barriers around the target as the weapons were too large and moving far too slowly to be recognized as a serious threat.

Thus, when the bombs smashed through the glass of the habitat, all inside were quite surprised. This quickly turned to confusion as the weapons detonated before anyone could get a look at them, though it was easy to see the fragments of metal pinging off the ground and ceiling through the small cloud of smoke that quickly dissipated. Up above, the hole that had been broken was quickly sealed by thin metal sheets that deployed from the beams of the habitat, much like bulkheads were closed on a ship with a hull breach.

Unluckily for those inside, that automatic measure prevented the gases that had been released by the UNSC weapons from leaving the space. As the enclosed environment was sealed off from the vacuum outside, the invisible and odorless chemical began to circulate through the ventilation systems.

* * *

Hearing about the breach of the agri-habitat was bad enough sitting down here at the entrance to the mines, but wondering what those weapons had been was even worse. For all his experience throughout the Terminus, Pren couldn't figure out why these raiders would drop some seemingly worthless hunks of metal onto the habitat. It was certainly a clever way to get around Kinetic Barriers, but why try to attack the agricultural center of the facility in the first place. The only thing of any value beneath the shield were fields, and it wasn't like conventional explosives could do that much damage to the ground.

Such considerations would have to be left for later, however, as Pren caught mention of attackers being spotted on approach to the hangar on personnel transports. With the number on the way, there was little concern that the attackers would reach the mines at all, let alone the slaves below. That meant that whatever the raiders wanted was in or near the hangar, though Pren couldn't figure out what that would be. Everything valuable was stored in finished sections of the mine, well away from the surface and the slaves.

Either way, the Batarian soldiers around the habitat had begun setting up defenses to repel the attackers. Many of the squads were asking for information from the fleet, though from what Pren had heard communications were still down with the ships in orbit. Unluckily, that meant that no one on the ground had any idea how many forces were still in orbit.

None of the others around Pren seemed to be concerned about that as they continued to sit around, not that he was complaining. The biggest concern with this post would be keeping any slaves from escaping if the handlers down in the mines were distracted by the attack.

It was at this point that things really went to shit as a sudden burst of static flew across the comm network, leading Pren to wince at the sound. Oddly, those around him seemed less affected, even though their comm links were open to the same frequency. Figuring it was due to his helmet, the Batarian went back to listening to the network chatter, only to receive silence from the channel. Flipping through several frequencies showed that it wasn't just that channel that was affected.

Pren looked over at his fellow soldiers to ask them if the comms were still working, only to notice that the silence wasn't just from his comms. Everyone around him seemed completely relaxed even though their own communications were still silent after the burst of static.

Suddenly, Pren became acutely aware of just how silent it had become now that their comms were down. There was no noise from the mines or the habitat above, just the ambient breeze as air was pumped through the mines to keep the slaves from dying.

A little paranoia began to color Pren's thoughts as he quickly picked up his weapon and moved towards a more defensible position. There was no reaction from the other Batarian soldiers, and while he could see that they weren't dead, it still did nothing to help the situation. Knowing that they'd be a liability in combat, Pren began dragging each of his comrades down further into the mines to keep them out of the way.

With that done, he took up position at the edge of the entrance, using one of the supports that held up the roof as cover. Slowly, he began to hear sounds from the habitat above him. At first, it was just gunshots from mass accelerator weapons mixed with a much deeper rattle from a weapon that Pren couldn't figure out. Those few shots quickly turned into many before transforming into barking orders and clanging footsteps across metal grating.

Several minutes of tense waiting led to three Batarian defenders rounding the corner of the entrance, firing behind them as they fled. Pren quickly got their attention and gestured for them to get behind him as he sent covering fire down the passage to hold off whatever was chasing the group.

As the three made their way past Pren, he heard them curse as they saw the bodies of his squad laying prone on the ground. One of them got Pren's attention as he commented, "They hit the whole agri-habitat as well. Wonder if we'd have any luck in the mines."

"Any idea what is happening?" Pren asked, turning back around to look at the reinforcements. "Haven't heard any communications after the hangar was hit." As he brought his attention to the three Batarians, Pren noticed that each was wearing a helmet along with multiple signs of battle damage on their armor.

"They hit us with something in those weapons. Anyone without filtered air is out. Our squad was lucky enough to have been equipped to defend the hangar, which required sealed suits," one of the defenders replied.

Another scoffed at that and added, "Unlucky enough to be the first to meet them as well."

"Them?" came the expected inquiry from Pren.

"No idea, all I know is that they aren't the usual Terminus bastards. Our comms were cut same as yours, no word from the commander either, probably out with the rest of the habitat," the first responded.

Pren stole a quick glance down the passage to make sure it was still clear before questioning, "What species are they, Turian? Those birds wouldn't hit a Hegemony Colony, though, and no one else in the Terminus has the power to do so."

"Every one of them wears a suit, like the Quarians on their fleet nowadays. I'd almost say Asari, except that I don't recognize the armor and they would never do a frontal assault without commandos," the last Batarian said, speaking for the first time.

"Well, whoever they are, they can fuck off and die," Pren replied.

The soldier that had first spoken looked at him incredulously and argued, "There's four of us and at least ten dropships worth of them. Our only chance is to pick them off in the mines, or at least lose them so we can call in reinforcements from one of the other habitats on the planet."

Before anyone could respond to that, Pren's gaze flickered to the side slightly as his peripheral vision detected a faint movement. With the high tension due to the combat situation and his high strung nerves, it was only natural for the Batarian to react with violence to the possible threat.

Such a reaction saved his life as the invisible form of a positively massive being was suddenly highlighted by a glowing golden field as Mass Accelerator rounds impacted its form. At the sudden movement from Pren, the other Batarian defenders had startled, a reaction which was furthered by the appearance of the unknown being.

Even with the lucky sighting that Pren had gotten on the enemy, however, the closest soldier still had no chance to react as the thing sped towards him at a frightening speed. Surprised at the sudden change in location of his target, Pren's next few shots lagged behind the form. The Batarian soldier cursed and ceased fire to keep from shooting his allies as he tried to follow the enemy.

The unfortunate Batarian that had been selected as the thing's first target slammed into the wall as Pren brought his gaze around, just in time to see the Batarian's head turned in ways it was not supposed to. Pren idly noted that the metal of the soldier's suit had been unable to follow its user's motions and had ripped a hole in the previously sealed armor.

Several shots pinged off the enemy's odd shield once again as another soldier managed to bring his weapon to bear on the temporarily stationary enemy. This did not last, however, as the being moved once again, charging away from Pren and towards the other two defenders. Seeing the opportunity this presented, the Batarian put as many rounds as he could into the thing's back, though it seemed to have no effect beyond making the golden shield slightly brighter.

Even with the impressive amount of rounds that the being had already taken, the attempts of the three remaining Batarians were still insufficient to bring it down before it reached its next target. An almost contemptuous flick of its hand batted aside a rifle as it bowled over the soldier holding the weapon. The last of Pren's allies had no time to retreat as the being reached out and grabbed the Batarian's shoulder.

Pren could see the metal bend and heard the soldier scream in pain as his shoulder broke underneath the immense pressure before he was silenced by a strike from the mysterious enemy. Undeterred by his imminent death, Pren kept up his fired, even as the thing turned towards him. This last effort was finally rewarded as the aura around the thing popped, leaving it open to weapons fire.

Any hope of escaping alive quickly left Pren's mind as he noticed the heavy armor that his rounds were now impacting. Small scratches appeared in the dark red paint of the figure as the rounds from the Batarian weapon made contact, but Pren noticed the distinct lack of actual damage on the thick plates.

This observation was quickly pushed out of the way as Pren saw the being dart towards him, impossibly fast for something as large and heavy as the thing must be with so much armor. Seeing that if he didn't move, he would meet the same fate as his allies, Pren quickly stepped to the side. What looked like a glance of surprise came from the armored figure at the unexpected motion, but it still took a swing at his side with its gauntlet.

With no time to do anything else, Pren jerked his rifle down, blocking the blow at the cost of losing his weapon and falling to one side at the strength behind it. Looking up, the Batarian threw an arm up to block the strike coming from above.

A brief flash of pain from his arm was the last thing Pren felt as the figure's strength simply broke through the obstacle and continued to its destination. The Batarian soldier never had the chance to feel anything more as his helmet caved in beneath the blow, causing an immediate death through blunt force trauma to the brain and spine as it attempted to hold against the forces put on it.

* * *

 **March 14, 2589/13th Day of 20th Month, 2458**

 **Logasiri**

 **Batarian Agri-Habitat 03**

Looking down as the last enemy fell, Spartan Kinslow admired the fighting spirit of the defender. As little as it had helped him, it had shown her that Batarians could be adaptable in the middle of combat, though that trait seemed to be a rare thing. That such a soldier possessed that intelligence was interesting, as the Batarian commanders most certainly hadn't.

So far, there had been few reports of true resistance across the planet. Apparently the defenders had been more prepared for the UNSC chemical weapons attack than predicted, though, as several addition squads of Spartans had been deployed to assist in the assault. On their way down, Kinslow and her comrades had witnessed the Guardian that accompanied the battlegroup firing off a Pulse to knock out enemy communications on the most active part of the planet.

With that hit, it had been easy for the marines to hold their ground long enough for reinforcements. Over the last half-hour, Kinslow had been scouting ahead for her squad as they broke through enemy lines and eliminated pockets of resistance that might have threatened the lives of the marines.

Her original plan going down into the mines was to leave these four Batarians to their fate at the guns of the marines behind her, but the one had somehow spotted her cloaked form. While impressive, the ensuing close quarters combat had allowed the Spartan to assess the strength of their weapons. That Kinslow had done so with her face was going to get her a talking to from her platoon leader, but that was alright as the scientists on the _Serenity_ would be appreciative of the tactical data it gave them.

A quick glance at her shoulder allowed the Spartan to take note of the damage from the quick skirmish. No warnings had been triggered by the hits, though the sensors of her armor had detected the physical impacts at the least. Several tiny scratches were visible in the titanium plates, but nothing that a quick paint-job wouldn't fix. Some lucky shots might have hit the weave of her bodysuit, but nothing had punctured as far as the Spartan could tell.

The hard thudding sound of marine boots on rock brought Kinslow's attention to the squad of marines that had been chasing down the defenders before her interference. One of them grimaced at the battered bodies of their previous targets while the rest simply ignored the corpses, having become used to the sight after securing locations cleared by Spartan teams.

"Pretty sloppy bit of work there. We could have handled them easy enough with a grenade," the squad leader commented, though his tone was more amused than annoyed.

Kinslow gave small shrug and explained, "All it takes is one to get lucky seeing the outline. Wasn't planning on tangling with them."

The marine grunted his understanding, "I assume you have somewhere to be, then. We'll secure this area and dispose of the trash."

A nod was the only answer from Kinslow before she once again engaged her cloak and continued her descent into the Batarian mines. With the power out from the Guardian's Pulse, it was completely dark, leaving the night vision capabilities of the MJOLNIR limited to supplementing the view with different strategies.

Infrared scopes fed basic temperature readings to a graphics interpreter, allowing it to be overlaid on Kinslow's HUD. This was enhanced with high-frequency sonar readings for depth perception and easy mapping of the surrounding area. Any tunnels with movement were also sent through predictive algorithms so that the user could have an idea of what might be above or below them.

It was the last measure that proved to be the most useful in this situation, as Kinslow almost immediately crossed above a juncture that was full of motion. Deducing that the large number of unidentified contacts were the slaves that worked in the mines was no challenge, and within seconds Kinslow had a path projected on her visor that was predicted to lead to the people below.

After following that lead for a short time, the Spartan scout came to a shaft the led both up and down further into the mines. Surprisingly, light was visible from a short ways down. Obviously the Pulse from the Guardian could only pierce so far into the ground before it became too weak to interrupt power.

A quick order from her neural lace to the MJOLNIR armor brought up a map with the explored areas of this location visible. On it were all friendly forces, rally points, and areas of resistance. Kinslow ignored the other points to focus on the location of the other three Spartans in her squad. All were marked with green, showing their status as battle ready, and all were advancing together along the path into the mines that Kinslow had just explored.

With reinforcements that close and no change in her orders, Kinslow closed the map and dropped down to follow the tunnel that her suit had directed her to. The lights in this section of the mine were still on, likely protected from the Pulse by the ground above and powered by a generator somewhere else in the warren of tunnels.

Kinslow wavered between cutting the line of power versus leaving it before eventually deciding on the latter. As helpful as it would be to be the only one able to see in the absolute darkness, that same lack of light might also make her job harder if the slaves began to panic. Eliminating the Batarians overseeing them would be easy enough, but evacuating and caring for the forced workers would be overseen by the colony ships with the battlegroup.

Thus, the scout continued further down the tunnel. Considering that she had not yet seen anyone, be that slave or Batarian master, the Spartan knew that there must be another exit at the other end of the passage. As she went along, Kinslow noted her squad passing above her in the tunnel above.

A blink of light on her HUD drew her attention for a second as she sent back a responding blink of green followed by two yellow flashes to the rest of her team. Going by the standard Spartan communication signals, she was efficiently reporting that her status was green, she was advancing on the enemy and would evaluate the situation when she arrived. The reply was a blink of green, green, and red in that order to convey that Kinslow's actions were approved, her team was on their way to back her up, and she had permission to engage if she saw fit.

Less than a minute later and Kinslow came to a stop as she reached the location that she had encountered motion before. Instead of any people, however, there were just footsteps in the dirt and dust on the rocky floor of the tunnel. It didn't take any thought for Kinslow to know that this meant that the Batarians were directing their slaves deeper into the mines, probably hoping to hide out the assault until reinforcements arrived.

There was no way for them to know that their allies would never arrive, that their fleet lay in ruins and all other colonial locations were under the same assault. Keeping the Batarians ignorant of that was the most important objective at this point, as if they learned the truth of their situation, the slaves they commanded could be used as either fodder or simply slaughtered out of spite.

To prevent that, however, Kinslow first had to find the few surviving defenders that would be keeping the slaves in line. With that in mind, the Spartan continued her advance down the tunnel, using the disturbances caused by her target to guide her. Twisting and turning through the complex tunnel system, the scout was thankful that there was no air movement in the mine to wipe away the trail, as without it she would have no chance of locating the group.

As she progressed, it became clear that the group was heading downwards, though keeping fairly centered underneath the habitat above. Such a design was almost never seen in UEG space, both because of the concern of weakening the foundations of large buildings but also due to the strip-mining that was used on many resource-rich planets.

Eventually, Kinslow reached her destination, though she did not enter the chamber she had discovered. As heinous a violation of sentient rights as it was, even the Spartan had to admit that the large space dug out for the slave pens was rather impressive. All the workers were kept on the lowest level, with no exit tunnels and only a single ramp leading up to the level where Kinslow and several Batarians stood. Interspersed between the mass of beings were pillars of rock to hold up the ceiling, a necessary measure due to the large size of the room.

From Kinslow's point of observation, she estimated that there were about 250 to 300 slaves in the pit, giving them enough room split up but still creating an extremely claustrophobic environment. Around the rim of the holding area stood a number of Batarians, though none of them looked to be in any shape to fight. Most had probably gotten a good dose of gas, but not enough to fully incapacitate them for dispensation by UNSC forces.

That was acceptable as Kinslow saw it, as their elevated, and therefore prominent, positions gave her easy targets to hit. After years of practice, it was second nature for the scout to reach back and grab the Hardlight rifle off her back and shoulder it without making a sound. The lack of any reaction from the Batarian guards signified her success, allowing the Spartan several seconds to line up her shots.

A couple quick switches from target to target gave Kinslow a good idea of the most efficient manner of eliminating her enemies, along with how she would have to move while doing so. Due to the control chips that the Batarians used in their slaves, the number of masters assigned to watch over them was rather small. As simple and crude as the implants were, there wasn't much that could survive having its brain turned to mush.

It was that fact that Kinslow was counting on as she put her first shot straight through the farthest Batarian's head, using her advantage of surprise as best she could for easy shots. The bright streak of light immediately alerted the other enemies, as expected, but their reactions were far too slow as Kinslow sent a second shot at the next target.

By this point the others were lifting their weapons as they tried to locate the cloaked attacker, though their movements were slow and clumsy due to the QNB gas that they had inhaled. This gave the scout enough time to take another shot before swiftly moving away from her former position.

This came just in time as mass accelerator rounds began to pepper the area she had been standing. When the Batarians failed to hit what was no longer there, they apparently assumed that the shooter had taken cover in the tunnel that Kinslow had emerged from. As they began to converge on that location with cautious steps, the Spartan put another hard light round through the head of the last soldier.

With all their attention focused forward, the Batarians only became aware of their fallen comrade when his body fell into the pit below. None of them had seen where the shot had come from, though they knew that it wasn't the tunnel they had been approaching. Several of the overseers began to look uncertain, as they were trapped however many meters underground with an unseen and unknown enemy.

Keen to continue her game of mental warfare, Kinslow ceased fire for a short time as she moved around the edge of the holding pen. After her three kills, there were eleven Batarians left that she could see, though it was possible that there were more elsewhere in the mine. Those were not her concern for the moment, however, as her mission here had been to locate the slaves that the UNSC had known were mining ores for the Hegemony.

As the Spartan reached the farthest point from her targets, she quickly analyzed the situation and once again took aim. The remaining enemies had bunched up as they attempted to figure out what had killed their comrades. To find her, they would have to split up, which would in turn make them vulnerable in such an open area.

Figuring that she might as well not give them the chance to properly counter her one-Spartan assault, Kinslow sent a round through the faceplate of the Batarian standing with his back against the wall. Of course, this gave every other soldier there a chance to see where the shot had come from, but that was hardly an issue considering the alarm that was created by the scout's shot.

Seeing a being, be it an ally or enemy, die in such a way at such close range was disturbing. Anyone who had served in the UNSC during the War or conflicts that followed knew this and knew it well, but such was the way of war. By setting the enemy off balance with High Value Target or Priority Target eliminations, further assaults could be made with ease due to the uncoordinated response of the enemy.

This same tactic worked well in this situation as the Batarians lost any cohesion they had achieved. In their confusion, Kinslow picked off two more targets before they could start sprinting for cover. Of course, due to the wide open space of the slave pit, there wasn't a lot of cover in the first place, but the defenders made do.

Unluckily, one of them had miscalculated and left part of his body sticking out from behind the pillar he had hidden behind. Instead of taking that opportunity, however, Kinslow held her fire and moved from her position once again. With her enemies in cover and therefore stationary, it was easy enough to line up an easy firing cone on several enemies.

High energy light once again made contact with the Batarian forces, with the Spartan scout downing four targets that had all been taking cover behind one of the pillars that held up the room of the underground room. Kinslow's choice of location for the fight was deliberately close to another two Batarians, allowing her to close the distance with them easily as they tried to react.

Before they could do more than turn their heads to track the shots that had killed their allies, Kinslow was on top of them. A bash from the stock of her rifle pulverized the face of one opponent and allowed the scout to knock the weapon of the other Batarian away with her recovery. The disarmed slaver attempted to back away but only managed a step before his head was removed by another hard light round.

This left only two Batarians alive, with one fairly close to the cloaked Spartan and the other close to the other side of the pit of slaves. Both of them were obviously beyond fighting, seeing as they had yet to even get a confirmed hit on their enemy. The farther target had already turned to flee the battlefield, hoping to escape into the mines and perhaps survive the invasion somehow. Such a plan was infeasible for the Batarian closest to Kinslow, and the slaver seemed to know that as well as he began to raise his weapon in one last gamble at life.

Knowing that the Mass Accelerator rounds would be unable to break her shields in time to do any real damage, Kinslow turned her attention to the fleeing opponent. A quick mental calculation and the scout took aim, putting a round from the light rifle through the Batarian's back. While she was doing this, the closer enemy had managed to take aim and begin firing towards her position. The streak of light that had been fired from Kinslow's rifle was enough for the last survivor to pinpoint her position, as little as that would help him.

Several rounds pinged of the energy shield of her MJOLNIR as Kinslow turned her attention to the Batarian. With almost contemptuous ease, the scout turned her weapon on the Batarian and put a shot straight into his neck. The Batarian twitched slightly as his spine was severed before falling to the ground.

Kinslow scanned the area for any reinforcements but found none. Instead, the Spartan was greeted by the sight of stunned slaves staring up at her, able to see the outline of her form just briefly before the cloaking field recovered its integrity. Seeing as she had just slaughtered the beings watching over them, Kinslow felt obligated to reassure them that they would be released to freedom rather than left to slavery or death.

A quick order from her neural lace to the MJOLNIR dropped her cloaking field, allowing all present to see her. Kinslow mentally increased the volume of her helmet's speakers as she announced, "More forces are en route to evacuate you. Please hold position and keep order until they arrive. By UNSC law, you are now considered civilians and are afforded all the rights, privileges, and freedoms associated with that designation."

With that done, Kinslow waited as the declaration was run through the translation software developed for the Citadel species and repeated in various languages. Apparently the news spread quicker than her translations, however, as those in the pit began celebrating with their fellows. As this was going on, the scout mentally highlighted humans that she could pick out amongst the crowd. The signs of harsh treatment were visible on all those below, and it merely confirmed Kinslow's determination to fulfil her duty in wiping the planet clean of the scourge.

After her suit had finished broadcasting all the languages necessary, Kinslow nodded to the free beings below before activating her active camouflage once again. This drew awed looks from the former slaves as their unaugmented eyesight was incapable of seeing the slight outline that a Spartan could discern with focus. Instead of paying any attention to that, however, the scout silently made her way to the last Batarian she had killed and examined the damage.

Considering the unknown nature of Kinetic Barriers, many UNSC soldiers had been prepared for the Mass Effect fields to stop hard light rounds. From what she had seen fighting in the habitat as well as down here in the mines, Kinslow could dismiss that possibility.

Regular UNSC kinetic weapons, such as MA5 rifles or any other weapon that fired physical rounds, would be countered by the Barriers due to their nature. Once those weapons pierced, however, the damage caused was catastrophic. Such a large object impacting at a high speed caused massive trauma to a target, which was exactly the point of those weapons.

Hard light weapons, on the other hand, used high energy light as ammunition. This improved their effectiveness against energy shields as well as their accuracy, as the round actually traveled at the speed of light. Upon making contact with flesh, however, that energy was converted into various forms. Thermal energy cooked flesh and melted material while kinetic energy caused liquefaction, both rather nasty effects. Combined with the radiation inherent in such a form of light, and any unshielded target would almost certainly be killed. If it wasn't instant death, then it was a horrendous wound to recover from or a slow and very, very painful death by internal hemorrhaging contained by the cauterized wound. Or disintegration, though the UNSC had disabled that on their own hard light weapons since it made counting bodies and recovering supplies rather impossible.

By comparison, Mass Accelerators were very tame weapons, which had confused many service members when they were briefed on it. While Mass Effect weapons had ridiculous muzzle velocities, the mass of their rounds was almost insignificant. The tiny, sand-sized pieces of metal that were fired from Citadel weapons had more energy, but with such a small round, the only real advantage they would have would be penetrability, which was also their weakness, ironically.

Quite simply, the tiny rounds didn't have enough mass to actually transfer a meaningful amount of energy to their target. Against thick armor, they lacked the mass to hold their course, hence the scratches in Kinslow's armor from her previous engagement, and against lightly armored targets the rounds simply penetrated through. As painful as it was to have a piece of sand blast through the body, it simply wasn't an incapacitating or even serious wound. A quick application of will, biofoam, or other such methods would allow a casualty to easily return to fighting status.

Multiple rounds would probably drop a fighter, given that they were wearing the light armor that the Citadel species used. Intel had suggested that the alien species relied on their Kinetic Barriers rather than physical plating far more than the UNSC forces, promoting sloppy tactics and a lack of offensive drives.

Kinslow wasn't complaining about the nonsensical nature of it, however, as she turned her attention away from the body to bring up the map of the facility. Seeing that her team was closing on her position, the Spartan quickly made her way to the tunnel they would emerge from. A short time later and the other three Spartan stepped into the chamber, each focused on the bodies from the fight as well as the mass of slaves below.

Since they were not in scouting roles, none of the other three had devoted cloak like Kinslow and thus drew attentive stares from the slaves below. The group of Spartan-IVs ignored this, however, as they followed the invisible form of Kinslow around the pit and towards the rest of the mines to scan for any surviving targets. Behind them, marines stepped out to deal with the slaves, providing reassurance and guidance to efficiently evacuate them from the combat zone and into the colony ships above the planet.

* * *

 **Not everything Cutter assumes is true. Assumptions, and people for that matter, aren't always correct. Please do not take everything in his line of thoughts as immutable fact in the story. Saying that, facts that are stated (UNSC vessels have meters of molecularly reinforced titanium armor, for example) are true, as Cutter knows them due to his position as an officer of the UNSC.**

 **Essentially, I'm telling you that some of his assumptions are wrong. Not all, but some.**

 **Not sure why Halo uses weight as a measurement for their MAC rounds, since weight changes with the gravitational acceleration of an object. All appropriate numbers are for the mass of MAC rounds in kilograms, assuming the weight figures given by canon are calculated using the mass of the rounds and 9.83 m/s2 for acceleration.**

 **All statistical information on the** _ **Serenity**_ **is canon based off Infinity-class vessels. Well, I did inflate the maximum round mass from 2.7 million to 3 million, but that doesn't change the outcome of an impact beyond making it slightly larger. Obviously.**

 **Not much for the fleet battle here. There's no big fleets being thrown around, as this** _ **was**_ **a surprise attack, hence no unified Batarian response. That's the whole point of a surprise attack, catch the defenders unaware and unable to coordinate together. Duh.**

 **Energy transfer is dependent on mass, acceleration, and distance. A bullet with a really small mass transfers less energy than a large mass, and something decelerating slower transfer less energy per unit of time than something decelerating faster, regardless of velocity. Due to the small size of Mass Accelerator rounds, they will decelerate slower since there is less surface area to slow them.**

 **The human genome is made up of about three billion (3,000,000,000) base pairs. Of those, about ten thousand to twenty-ish thousand determine what proteins are made, or in other words, what makes us, us.**

 **Now, Asari are fairly close to Humans, albeit with biotics and some physical changes. Considering that Humans and Fruit flies have fairly similar number of Protein-Coding genes, let us assume that the Asari are also fairly close, mostly because there is no canonical data on this.**

 **So, out of 10-20 thousand Protein-coding genes, some number for Asari must be different. Some of their other non-coding DNA would also be different, but in species with high amount of ncDNA, this ends up being mostly junk.**

 **Let us set the difference in Protein-coding genes for Asari and Humans at around 2500-5000, or 25%. This is probably far higher than it would actually be, but whatever.**

 **Out of all the DNA that determines biological things for humans and asari, 25% is different. Out of all the DNA in a human and asari, assuming similarity, about 98% is junk DNA. Of that remaining 2%, or 60 million base pairs, about .00017% to .00034% is Protein-coding DNA.**

 **Since these two would have evolved separately, their full DNA structure must be taken into account, since have coding DNA in a different structure would cause differences. 2500 to 5000 meaningful differences between base pairs out of 60 million base pairs, out of 3 billion total base pairs. A total difference of about .0000000000000139% to .0000000000000278%.**

 **Please note that due to the shared ancestors of creatures on Earth, differences between apes and humans, or other such animals, will be much higher since we can discard the junk DNA. Even if we discard the junk in this scenario, the difference is about .0000417% to .0000834%. Much, MUCH higher, but still quite low. The differences between Quarians and Humans would probably be on a magnitude of 25 to 50 times higher, as they are still bipedal but possess much more prominent physical changes.**

 **Now, we look to the chance that the Asari evolved in the galaxy next to Humanity. In the observable universe, we have narrowed down the range of the number of galaxies to 200 billion to 2 trillion. Now, we take the chance of Humanity evolving in the Milky Way as 1/1, since they didn't evolve but were created by the Precursors. That is Halo canon, by the by, and since this is sci-fi, I'm using it, however bullshit it may be.**

 **Since the Asari cannot evolve in the Milky Way, we take away one galaxy from the possibilities, so 199,999,999,999 to 1,999,999,999,999 possible galaxies, respectively. The galaxy we want them to evolve in is the Mass Effect galaxy in canon, which is just one galaxy. This gives us 1 acceptable answer out of ~200 billion to ~2,000 billion possible galaxies.**

 **1/199,999,999,999 to 1/1,999,999,999,999, or .000000000005% to .0000000000005%. In reality, that is close to the actual chance that Humanity had of evolving in the Milky Way, on top of the 1/10 to the 40th chance that life evolved at all (note: there are billions of simultaneous trials occurring for the creation of life at any time, sheer number makes up for the low chances), and the 1/100 billion chance that we evolved on Earth, out of all the planets in the Milky Way.**

 **In the end, we have a near-zero chance of the Asari evolving in the Citadel galaxy along with a significantly better but still ridiculously low chance of the Asari being similar to Humanity.**

 **Perhaps this can give people an idea of why I am going in the direction that I am.**

 _-evevee_


	14. Rejection and Reception

Disclaimer: I own no franchise mentioned in this work. Halo belongs to 343, Mass Effect to Bioware.

 **Not much to say for this one. Hope everyone is having Happy Holidays, whatever those may be.**

 **Now for Review Responses! If you don't care, skip to the breakpoint below. For responses, later reviews will be listed first, because I'm lazy and can't be bothered to reverse-order them. To those I do not explicitly mention, thank you for reviewing!**

 **Had to address this several times, so coalesced all those reviews into this note: I know that kilograms measure mass. Grams for mass, Newtons for force, pounds for weight, meter/sec squared for acceleration, etc. I don't know why people are pointing this out as I could find no mistake when I looked back at last chapter. I used Imperial instead of Metric tons, since Imperial measures weight while Metric measures mass. Since Halo is an American franchise and the MAC round numbers are not specified from what I could find, I assumed Imperial. I might be wrong, but that doesn't change much. One Imperial ton has a mass of 907 and some change kilograms while one Metric ton is 1000 kilograms. Not radically different.**

 **Guest #1: Chief will appear, focusing on large scale stuff right now rather than individuals.**

 **The Cursed Merc: I found no such entry for a Turian MBT in the Codex. As for Mass Accelerator rounds, perhaps the rounds from starships can be built in such a manner, but ground weapons have too small of a caliber. No matter which way they go, however, the issue remains that rounds either penetrate far too easily or don't have sufficient lethality.**

 **Siphon 117 - Last chapter took place 13 days after negotiations. Glad to hear that you're alright with talk over combat, we still have a good chunk to go before war happens. At this point, the Wardens and Citadel have only been in official contact for two weeks.**

 **Emberframe: That was not an error. The UNSC uses 300, 600, and 3000 ton rounds for their MACs. Converted to kg, that is ~250,000, 500,000, and ~3,000,000 kilograms, respectively. Some rounding is done for those. In comparison, Citadel Mass Accelerators on Dreadnoughts use 20 kilogram rounds.**

 **theIrishWriter: Good questions, and we will get to the answer eventually.**

 **StarBlaze24: I would argue that the canon Citadel Council was quite delusional. Aside from that, they don't care about getting new species inasmuch as making sure the others don't have relations with those species. It's political pandering.**

 **Now onto the chapter!**

* * *

 **March 15, 2589/First Age of Realization, 22nd Solar Cycle**

 **Wardens of the Mantle High Senate**

 **Harvest**

Considering the massive size of several species in the Wardens of the Mantle, the High Senate chambers were eerily quiet as the attendees made their way to their seats. As the first meeting following the First Contact with the Citadel Council, the gathering would be focused on the proposals and other political business that needed to be dealt with.

The delay in holding the meeting had been on purpose as the Reclaimers attempted to learn more from their counterparts on the Citadel. From the reports given to each leader present today, that mission had been more than successful, which was encouraging.

Seeing as each government of the members of the Wardens had already decided their stance on the proposed treaties, the gathering was little more than a formality. As such, the chamber was filled with ambassadors and representatives rather than the leaders of each species. Any important information would be relayed back to those who needed to know, though nothing particularly new was expected.

With the last of the delegates present, the tense silence was broken by Jasper Dillinger, the UEG's Ambassador to the High Senate as he announced, "The High Senate of the Wardens of the Mantle is now in session for this day of March 16, 2589, First Age of Realization, 22nd Solar Cycle. Treaties presented by the body known as the Citadel Council are to be debated and voted upon for acceptance, modification, or rejection by the High Senate. The floor is now open for debate on the Treaty of Farixen, which all present should already be familiar with."

Almost as soon as the human had sat down, the Swords Ambassador Rteke 'Lodav began, "There is no modification to the Council's ship limits that the Sangheili would be able to abide by." Several of the other politicians signaled their agreement, their demeanors relaxed as the Sangheili cut straight to the point with no hesitation.

"The UEG has consulted with the UNSC and concurs with that assessment by the recommendation of our military," the Human representative stated.

"They have not proven themselves. I say no," Tirleus declared, speaking for the Jiralhanae tribes in place of Lydus.

No one in the High Senate chambers was surprised by those decisions. While they did not rule over the Wardens like the Council, all present knew that the Jiralhanae, Humans, and Sangheili fielded the largest fleets and thus would lose the most if the Council's Treaty of Farixen was accepted.

Since the Wardens were a democratic body, however, it would be possible for the remaining four undeclared members to outnumber the three opposed and greatly limit their allies. Which, by its very nature, made absolutely no sense to any of those present. Limiting their allies when the Citadel was threatening their territory was the least productive thing they could do at the moment.

"There is no talk here. I ask for a formal vote," the Unggoy representative called out.

Seeing several nods of agreement from other members, Dillinger spoke, "The floor is now closed to debate. A formal vote for the acceptance or rejection of the Treaty of Farixen presented by the Citadel Council to the Wardens of the Mantle has been called. Polling begins now."

"Voting has now ended and the results have been tallied," the human called out several seconds later, a hint of boredom present in his otherwise formal tone. "No votes for, two votes waived, five votes against. The Wardens of the Mantle hereby reject the Treaty of Farixen and all its terms, limitations, and rights."

"Moving on to the next item, the Citadel Council has asked the Wardens of the Mantle to become party to the Veil Accords. The floor is now open for debate." When no other members replied in the silence immediately following his statement, the UEG Ambassador resumed, "I motion to veto acceptance of this Treaty for violating the rights of a member species of the Wardens of the Mantle."

None of the representatives were surprised at that, though there was still a slight whine from the Huragok. Everyone ignored it as 'Lodav replied, "This motion is supported by the Swords of Sanghelios."

"Are there any challenges to the motion to veto?" Dillinger inquired, not even bother to look up from the datapad he was working on. As expected, silence was all that greeted him, allowing the human to declare, "The vote on the Veil Accords is hereby revoked and the proposition rejected by the Wardens of the Mantle with no challenges. Citadel limits on Relay activation have also been presented. Before the floor is open for debate, are there any outstanding arguments to the acceptance of this measure that a member would like to present?"

When no members raised any concerns, the UEG representative continued, "I would like to call a formal vote on the Relay activation limitations proposed by the Citadel, with no preceding debate. Objections?"

Once again, silence answered him, allowing Dillinger to announce, "A formal vote for the acceptance or rejection of the Relay limitations presented by the Citadel Council to the Wardens of the Mantle has been called. Polling begins now."

A short time later, the human addressed the chamber once more, "Voting has now ended and the results have been tallied. Three votes for, four votes waived, one vote against. The Wardens of the Mantle hereby accept the Citadel's proposal for limitations on Relay activation."

"Last on the list of agreements from the Citadel is their proposal to share technology. This would include discoveries of Prothean ruins by members of the Wardens as well as existing technology from the Citadel. All members of the Wardens would be required to share Forerunner discoveries with members of the Citadel in turn, along with their current existing technology," Dillinger explained.

The Unggoy representative was the first to speak following that as he said, "Absolutely not."

"Would the Citadel accept the modifications we would make to have such an agreement be acceptable?" 'Lodav questioned.

Tirleus snorted and answered, "Of course not. They would ask to have the Rings if we agreed." The others acknowledged the truth of that statement with silent nods. After a short time, the Jiralhanae continued, "I request to veto this proposal."

"On what grounds do you submit this request?" Dillinger asked.

"Accepting the Council into Forerunner sites presents a direct threat to the galaxy. The Rings are not toys to be played with by those ignorant of their purpose," Tirleus stated.

The human considered that before replying, "They could be allowed to view the Halo Rings, but not set foot on them."

'Lodav drew the attention of the room as he argued, "I do not trust them. Even if they were not shown the Rings, they would access other Forerunner sites. Educating them on how to access those areas could lead to the Parasite being released, in the worst of many undesirable cases."

Dillinger considered that before giving a shrug and leaning back as he responded, "I have no challenge to that veto."

"No challenge," the Sangheili said, repeating the human's words.

When the rest of those in the chamber held their silence, the UEG representative declared, "The proposal from the Citadel to the Wardens of the Mantle to share technological advancements and ruins is hereby vetoed and rejected from the floor with no debate. At this time, the decisions on these Treaties from a foreign entity will be sent to the appropriate leader of each member of the Wardens so that they can be verified and used in diplomatic talks. Are there any further issues to be discussed for this session?"

Silence followed the question, leading Dillinger to announce, "This session of the High Senate of the Wardens of the Mantle is now complete. All present are dismissed."

* * *

 **15th Day of 20th Month, 2458/March 16, 2589/March 16, 2180**

 **Citadel Council**

 **Private Council Chambers**

For all its importance in determining the direction of the Citadel races, it seemed oddly ironic that some of the most important decisions happened behind the closed doors of the Council's Private Chambers. Of course, considering the topic of discussion, Tevos couldn't help but feel that keeping this particular meeting quiet was an extremely prudent move.

Currently, she was waiting for Valern and Sparatus to appear, for the Council had finally received a response from the Wardens of the Mantle as to their proposed agreements. The message had come in only minutes earlier and was the reason for this unscheduled gathering that would determine relations with the Wardens for many decades to come.

Respecting the fact that her colleagues would take some time to arrive and view the missive themselves, Tevos had refrained from opening it. While it would have been beneficial to be more prepared, the Asari Matriarch was far more nervous that what was inside would disrupt her carefully controlled posture. A few minutes to regain her composure would not be enough to direct the other two members of the Council if she appeared disturbed when they arrived.

After a short time of waiting, Valern arrived in the room, taking his place on a chair specifically designed for him for these meetings. Several more minutes passed before their Turian colleague joined them, irritation clear on his face.

Tevos nodded to him and started, "We've received a response from the Wardens on the Treaties we presented at First Contact."

"Finally," Sparatus muttered, quickly diverting his attention to his omni-tool as Tevos shared the message with the other two Councillors.

It took only moments for each of them to scan over the small document, a feat considering the importance of it. It seemed that the Wardens' propensity towards large things like their ships did not extend to their diplomatic missives. In two short paragraphs, the Wardens had rejected three of the four major measures that the Citadel had created to keep peace and balance between species, and the one they had accepted was merely a formality and wouldn't affect them in any meaningful capacity.

Sparatus was the first to speak, "This cannot be allowed."

"We can't force them to accept, even if it is true that they should do so," Tevos interjected, cutting off whatever else the Turian had to say. Sparatus glared at her, but the Matriarch knew that his anger was focused on the Wardens and not herself.

"Information is too scarce for negotiation," Valern said, picking up where Tevos had left off. "They could make demands that we do not want to meet. It is their hope that the Citadel will give them something in return for doing the right thing. If we want them to accept what has been proposed, the Council must know more before making any move towards discussion."

All three Councillors considered for a short second before Tevos replied, "Our current method of obtaining information has failed. I have heard of no breakthroughs from the STG nor have any Spectres managed to acquire passage into their territory."

Valern tilted his head slightly and confirmed, "No important worlds. We have information on several outlying colonies of the Reclaimers as well as Sangheili. Agents have informed us that there is nothing of value in any of those locations and they have been ignored in favor of more promising leads."

"Nothing from the Banished still?" Sparatus inquired, obviously already expecting an answer in the negative.

That expectation was met as the Salarian answered, "The STG is still unable to find a way to track their method of travel in this 'slipspace'. Observation and statistical analysis has revealed that it is far faster than what the Systems Alliance led us to believe. Their explanation on how slipspace travel can alter time fails to show how the Wardens have consistently traveled faster than Mass Effect vessels, at least among their military."

"Civilian ships, however, seems to maintain lower speeds, as is to be expected. The gap between their military craft and civilian transports indicates quick advancement as innovation overtakes their ability to disperse new technology. Obviously their studies into these Forerunner ruins have allowed this," Valern finished.

"They rejected the idea of sharing those ruins even though they could benefit many in Citadel space. I think that we should begin a more thorough examination of areas we have already mapped out to try and find some of these ruins for the Council. It would negate any advantage they have in that area if the STG can closely examine the alien technology and find a weakness," Sparatus suggested.

The Salarian Councillor added, "Agents have already been deployed to investigate the Batarian Hegemony's claims that one of their colonies in the Terminus was attacked by the Wardens. If true, then we can ascertain the combat abilities of their fleets and perhaps examine any technology left after the assault."

"If their claim is true, then they have attacked a member of the Citadel. Play this correctly and they will be forced to accept our treaties to avoid a public outcry. Without that, they will be unable to operate in our galaxy to sustain their economic demand for Citadel products," Sparatus stated.

It took only a second of thought for Tevos to reply, "We can accomplish several goals with one well-executed operation. The Wardens proposed joint-forces, and they have not indicated that that offer is withdrawn. If we deploy an experience Spectre alongside a fleet, it might be possible to obtain the information that we need instead of wandering aimlessly amongst the stars."

"Gain access to their networks and retrieve necessary data," Valern commented as he considered the idea. "Certainly possible. May be possible to allow a backdoor for remote access and further retrievals in the future as well. Would need to assure reliable return, however, as well as sufficient deniability."

After a second of silence, Sparatus responded, "An operative with direct experience in working with Warden species. Obviously, Spectre agents Vakarian and Arterius come to mind first. They've dealt with the Banished and Alliance before. Might be easier for them to gauge the military strength of the Wardens."

"They've also taken out one of these 'Kig-Yar' vessels before. Considering the massive size of Warden flagships, they could get an accurate assessment of strengths indirectly compared to our own ships. Two combined exploration fleets should be a sufficient display of force, and the science teams included should be able to break any security on Warden systems," the Turian Councillor added.

Tevos let out a noncommittal hum at that, unconvinced but unwilling to say so. Instead, the Asari Matriarch pointed out, "Official discussions with the Wardens would have to be organized. As much as we may disagree with their decisions, I believe that maintaining a facade of acceptance will continue to benefit the Council more than hostility at this time."

"Possible to gain access to their civilian networks if we sent an Ambassador to one of their worlds?" Valern questioned with honest curiosity.

The other two Councillors didn't let their surprise show at the suggestion, but spent several seconds thinking on it. Eventually, Tevos replied, "An interesting idea, but every species had been very hesitant to reveal the locations of any of their worlds, let alone important ones. Instead of trying to find them through trial and error, perhaps we could send a diplomatic team capable of accomplishing our needs."

"Already in process of selecting an Ambassador to the Wardens. The only world they'll find that could possibly be useful is whatever planet hosts Warden meetings. Eliminating Warden leadership with a strike at one of their meetings a possible solution, but does not solve our intelligence shortfalls. Retaliation too likely," Valern summarized quickly.

Councillor Sparatus grunted and agreed, "We'd need the location of a world important to one or more of their members. Finding the name to that world could allow us to search it specifically in the data we acquire."

"Information surely restricted on Warden meeting world," Valern argued. "Need to access network from different location where access is not limited. Reclaimer homeworld most preferable, as they seem to lead the alliance."

Tevos concurred, "Even if they deny that, they have apparently convinced the other species that they hold the key to their Forerunner technology. While I don't care if they are fooled, we will not be. The Humans will have the locations of all ruins discovered. If we can get that data, we could claim one of those sites by 'discovering' it. Since they refused to sign our reasonable request to share those ruins, there would be no reason for the Council to surrender the site to them."

"Deploy the two Spectres you have selected to act as guards for the Council's Ambassador and representatives of the Citadel's military. Once on the Human's homeworld, they can begin gathering information relating to defenses and other items that will help us determine the threat they present," Sparatus said, focused on the martial aspect as ever.

The Asari Matriarch acknowledged the statement and suggested, "Ambassador Benezia would be the obvious choice to send as a political representative. She has experience in dealing with Humans from her work with the Systems Alliance and has proven competent in her duties. Her presence in the Alliance, however, prevents that from being a permanent solution. A separate Ambassador will be chosen with Benezia accompanying them to compare the Alliance and Reclaimers."

"Perhaps adding personnel from the Alliance might allow us more options as well. More trust amongst their species," Valern commented.

"If we request that the Alliance sends Udina alongside our party, it could help," Tevos agreed. "Give him strict instructions to try and improve the public view of the Council in their populace. The Alliance's deception has placed it in a precarious position as it is. To keep their gains, they have to follow our lead."

Sparatus scowled at the reminder and asked, "We have confirmed that they do not know the location of their own homeworld? I find that extremely unlikely."

Valern answered, "STG agents on their colonies have found no navigation data related to the locations of their old worlds, and extensive examinations of data from their current capital have shown much the same. Apparently it's a defense mechanism, though it would seem to hurt more than help at this point."

"It won't matter if they agree to deploy forces alongside our own. Eventually we will be able to track a civilian ship, failing all else, and their resistance will crumble. Maintaining ships of the size we've seen must take immense resources and they wouldn't attempt such a display of force while keeping secrets if they could back it up. Their larger ships can only be in one place at a time. Against a full attack fleet they will fall," the Turian Councillor said confidently.

"Erring on the side of caution in regards to that is wise, but I do agree that such a scenario is likely," Tevos replied. "For now, I shall get in contact with Ambassador Benezia and let her know that the Council will be directing her to meet with the Reclaimers. She accepted transport from the Systems Alliance to their world, so the same method should be acceptable to the Reclaimer's home"

Her Salarian counterpart nodded decisively and added, "I will contact the Humans of the Wardens and obtain approval for this plan. Details will be sent to the Ambassador and any others that will accompany her."

"Spectres Vakarian and Arterius will be notified to meet the Ambassador at an acceptable location. I do not expect their fleets to be allowed in Warden space, but there is no reason to draw them back to the Citadel only to send them to join the Wardens. I will relay their instructions and other necessary information," Sparatus finished.

"Excellent. Until later, Councillors," Tevos replied, quickly rising along with the other two and making her way to perform her duties in this endeavor.

* * *

 **March 18, 2589/First Age of Realization, 22nd Solar Cycle**

 **Wardens of the Mantle Council of Guardians**

 **Harvest**

"Are there any others who will be joining us today?" Hood asked into the silent room, looking over the multitude of military commanders that were ready to begin their meeting. When no one called out, the Fleet Admiral continued, "Good. The Chamber will be sealed until we are done with this meeting. All information shared here is to stay amongst those present, as usual."

As Hood finished his introduction, the gentle hum of an energy shield activating could be heard through the walls as the building turned into a nearly unassailable fortress, which was not even counting the fleets that were guarding them in orbit. Considering that the military leadership, or what constituted such, for the entire Wardens of the Mantle were present, such measures were not unwarranted. Unlikely as it was, no risks would be taken for a lucky hit or rogue ship taking out this gathering.

Every being there ignored that, however, as they had seen it all before. While the Council of Guardians for the Wardens of the Mantle met at every Summit, this meeting was significantly different. As the first gathering after First Contact with the Citadel Council, the focus would be on the serious threat of war that confronted them rather than the Kig-Yar nuisance that was the usual topic of discussion during Summits.

After a few seconds of bypassing security measures on the holotable at the center of the room, Hood once again addressed those present, "As promised before our Contact with the Citadel, more information has been obtained by the Office of Naval Intelligence as well as through other means that gives us a better insight into the Council's plans. I have also met with a contact within the Systems Alliance and established an understanding which will allow us easier planning for the coming conflict."

"We all know that a war is inevitable, but we are now forming a solid idea of how it will play out. Due to the rejection of their limitations, the Council has begun an operation to infiltrate our borders through civilian craft. ONI has already identified several agents from Citadel intelligence that have made it onto minor colonies on the outermost border of Warden territory. For the moment, the problem is under control, but it will not last."

"I know that several contingencies were formulated by various members before First Contact, in case a foreign power ever located and identified important worlds. I recommend that all members begin implementing these countermeasures, even if it is sooner than anticipated. The UNSC will continue our attempts to delay and eliminate any information that could compromise worlds," Hood announced, looking around the room as he did so.

After a second of silence, a Sangheili Fleetmaster inquired, "Do we know their strategy for performing this operation? It seems subtle, but they do have the Alliance to assist them."

"Operatives are attempting to obtain access to our public information networks and travelling on the outer boundaries by using civilian transports. We suspect that the Citadel will accept our offer to establish combined forces to evaluate our ability to conduct offensive and defensive operations. The possibility of Citadel intelligence tracking civilian ships has also been suggested."

"A UNSC assault on a Batarian colony has given our soldiers firsthand experience with fighting against Mass Effect technology, and our predictions for the outcome were passably correct. Information from the Banished about strengths, weaknesses, and other tactical measures of the criminals they have engaged can be applied to Citadel technology as a whole. It can be assumed that the Council will also attempt to gain information about our capabilities by examining those battlefields. Those are the most likely methods, but I cannot say for certain if they will be the only ones," Hood answered.

"Are you not concerned that the traitors in the Alliance will be able to direct the cowards to our territory?" Lydus asked, ignoring the mention of the UNSC assault. The attack had already been approved before First Contact to achieve the goals of the Wardens and thus was not a concern of this particular Summit.

The Fleet Admiral turned to the Alpha as he replied, "Discussions with the Alliance have proven beneficial, far more than any talk with the Council. Cowards or otherwise, however you see them, they are focused on recovering and building their civilization, not starting another war. The population of the Alliance is about five billion. The UEG has about 37 billion and the advantage of processed resources from the wreckage left after the Covenant War. So long as they are left alone, their military leadership will direct all ships to avoid leading the Citadel to important worlds."

"Of course the Council will ask them to reveal our worlds. The Alliance knows this, they acknowledge it, and they have planned for it. All navigational data relating to our territory was wiped when the Alliance fled from the Covenant, as dictated by the Cole Protocol. As such, the Alliance will attempt to delay Citadel fleets as much as possible, diverting to minor or outlying worlds rather than important systems."

Murmurs sprung up at this before quieting down as the Arbiter responded, "Such actions would be a betrayal to the Citadel, just as they abandoned their own kin. Why should we trust them to keep their word?"

Hood took a second to consider that and structure his reply before answering, "I wish to make clear that the Systems Alliance never betrayed the UNSC, UEG, or Humanity. Deserted, abandoned, and forsaken, perhaps, but not betray. They ran from the Covenant for the purpose of survival, not with the intent to endanger or otherwise destroy our government."

"Among them were Insurrectionists, who were guilty of the crimes you accuse them of, but there were also civilians and soldiers, people who just wanted to live. UNSC security protocol was observed when their Exodus fleet left, and they have clearly expressed no intent to attack us now. Due to the extenuating circumstances surrounding the Outer Colonies at the time as well as their offer to maintain peaceful relations, the UEG is willing to tolerate their existence."

"Of course, other factors contribute to that, mainly that the UNSC is not interested in becoming involved in an extended conflict with our fellow humans. Ultimately, the Alliance was formed to try and ensure the survival of Humanity under the assumption that the UNSC would lose the War, a not entirely unreasonable assumption considering our strategic position at the time. There is no crime in that, as cowardly as it may have been," Terrence said, letting silence fall in the chamber as he finished.

When no one else spoke up, he continued, "As traitorous as it seems for the Alliance to assist us in avoiding the Citadel, I have examined their reasons and concluded that there is precedent to do so. There was no mention of this subject at First Contact, so the following information will be new to some. It will be distributed through the proper channels when UNSC analysts have finished compiling and archiving all pieces."

"As a Reclaimer of the Mantle of Responsibility and a member of the Council of Guardians of the Wardens of the Mantle, I am declaring the beings known as 'Reapers' to be a threat to the Mantle and the continued existence of several species." At this announcement, there was no shouting or accusations of falsehoods but rather contemplative quiet as those present considered the implications of the Fleet Admiral's words.

Currently, there were only two threats that merited such attention. One was the Flood, for the obvious reason that the Parasite had destroyed the Forerunners and would likely annihilate any species that came into contact with it. While Humanity could contain it by this point, they would have to know that an infection was in progress in the first place to do so.

The other threat was the Forerunners themselves, or rather their ruins. As shown by the Covenant, an inexperienced and naive species could cause great damage if they utilized such discoveries without sufficient temperance. If some species were to gain control of a Halo Ring, the devastation from its misuse would be catastrophic. While all members of the Council of Guardians recognized the similarity between their attitude and the Citadel Council's in regards to guiding species, all agreed that appearing arrogant when it came to Forerunner ruins was far better than the annihilation of all life within 25 radii of galactic center.

According to protocols and regulations agreed upon by Warden members, any indication of such a threat superseded all other mission objectives if detected. By declaring the Reaper's to be similar in nature to the destructive nature of Forerunner artifacts and the Parasite, Hood was ensuring that all available assets would be diverted to counter the threat they represented. Of course, such an allocation of resources would disrupt many fleets and schedules, but there was no preventing it.

Considering that, none were surprised when the Arbiter simply replied, "Make your argument, and we will hear it."

Hood nodded and resumed, "Several present may recall some mentions of these beings from our analysis of the Alliance's First Contact with the Citadel Council. At the time, we disregarded those whispers as superfluous until further notice, as it seemed to be a passing point and there was more important data to obtain. After a discussion with one of the leaders of the Alliance military, that is no longer the case."

"The Reapers are responsible for the destruction of the Protheans and many other species in the Citadel galaxy. How far back this goes is unknown, but it's much farther than is acceptable. Everything the Citadel species have built with Mass Effect has been designed off the Relays and other examples of alien technology. After careful analysis, the UNSC and ONI concur with the Alliance's conclusion that this is a ploy to limit the Citadel species."

"Why they eliminate species or what triggers their attacks is unknown. Geological evidence suggests that their assaults occur once every 50,000 years or so against developed species. While they do not present a credible threat to the continued existence of the Wardens of the Mantle, the same cannot be said for the Citadel Council. With all their travel, communications, and technology based around Mass Effect, the Reapers can brutally incapacitate all members with one strike," the Fleet Admiral said, easily keeping the attention of all present.

A couple taps on the holotable at the center of the room brought up a sketch of what everyone assumed was one of the Reapers. Hood confirmed this as he continued, "While they do not seem to build on the scale of the Forerunners, the Reapers are both numerous and possess unknown capabilities. What we do know is that they can eliminate multiple species in the Citadel galaxy and that they are extremely old and capable of exterminating civilizations seemingly at will."

One of the Sangheili Fleetmasters interrupted as he asked, "They are an ancient race, yet you do not consider them a threat?"

"They weakened themselves, ironically," Hood said before the Fleetmaster could continue asking questions. "By ensuring that the species in the Citadel galaxy use Mass Effect and then eliminating them, the Reapers have become ensnared in their own trap. Any time a species becomes advanced enough to possibly expand on the technological base, they are eliminated. While this ensures the dominance of the Reapers, it also limits their growth and weakens them if a species develops different technology."

The implication was easily understood by all present, but the Fleet Admiral held up a hand to forestall any questions as he continued, "The Forerunners never knew of the Reapers, or they would have eliminated them long ago. That does leave us in an interesting position, however. We are an unknown, a new element that can subvert and destroy the Reapers. Of course, now the question is what to do with that advantage?"

"As flawed as they are, the Mantle is clear. The Citadel species are to be protected from this threat," Lydus answered, though it was clear that he understood the problem with that.

"An interesting predicament, to be sure. Save the group that wants to destroy us while defeating them in a war that we do not want and fighting a war that they cannot," the Arbiter summarized succinctly. "You Humans are far too competent at finding enemies that unite foes."

Several sounds of agreement made it clear that that attitude was shared, but Hood merely tilted his head in acknowledgement and answered, "Blame them. Not our problem that they want a sure death."

The Sangheili leader nodded to his human counterpart in agreement and replied, "These Reapers are why the Alliance has agreed to work with the Wardens. Not to betray their allies but to save them from a fate that seems impossible to those who have never seen the harsh reality of the Void."

"As a civilization, the Citadel Council has experienced war, death, and the other unfortunate truths of existence. In its current state, however, I agree with that assessment. The citizens and militaries of the Citadel do not have firsthand experience. Their perception is skewed by their long period of peace. That will come to an end, either by their own actions or those of the Reaper's," Hood confirmed.

"If we unite their tribe with our own to form one whole, then we can solve their weakness," Lydus suggested, obviously in full support of that action.

The Fleet Admiral shook his head slightly as he turned to the Alpha and argued, "It was considered, but we don't have enough time to use that tactic. There is no doubt that the Wardens could absolutely crush the Citadel Council with our fleets, invade their worlds with our armies. It isn't a question of martial force, however, but one of recovery and control."

"Once we had conquered the Citadel species, we would need to reconstruct the infrastructure that had been devastated during the war. That would include teaching the Citadel species how to construct and utilize our stronger but completely different technological base, an idea that neither the UEG nor the UNSC finds acceptable. Beyond that, however, is the issue of maintaining control of the population.

"As docile as any species may seem, the Wardens simply do not have the numbers to enforce cooperation across an entire galaxy. Even the Forerunners were only capable of such after thousands of years and through the use of Guardians and other AI constructs. We would face rebellions and insurrections across entire solar clusters. It would be the perfect distraction to allow the Reapers to weaken us greatly if they struck," Hood explained.

Lydus grunted, irritated but smart enough to see the wisdom of that argument. "Battle with the Citadel is coming. We cannot stop that. You are a Reclaimer, always making plans and building a bigger picture, as you call it. What would you have the Wardens do?"

"I am in no way suggesting that we completely avoid conflict with the Citadel to build our own forces," the UNSC leader clarified to the Council of Guardians. Many appeared satisfied with that but kept their attention focused as Hood continued, "In fact, I would advise the opposite. Goading the Citadel into a conflict will convince them that they need larger fleets, and that will allow us to devote more forces to the Reapers when they come."

"You believe that they will arrive that soon?" the Arbiter asked with a hint of surprise.

Hood considered the question for a moment and answered, "I believe that it is best to plan that they will. Whether they do or not is inconsequential if we plan for their arrival to occur at the most inconvenient time." The Sangheili accept that answer, his tactical mind satisfied with the reasoning.

"With the Citadel focused on changing their industry to wartime production, our only challenge will be keeping up the pressure. If they believe they are on the back foot in a fight rather than already defeated, they will be on guard, prepared for an assault. While they still do not stand a chance, that mentality will allow them to maintain control of their population rather than forcing the Wardens into doing so ourselves. Their increased production of materials will also allow them to defend their worlds slightly longer and save as many beings as possible."

"I will not lie. Many are going to perish, even with our assistance. As of now, the goal of the Wardens in this conflict is to simply save the Citadel species from extinction. This plan requires information from the Citadel species, however, and while ONI could gather that, I would prefer to have them focus on looking for the Reapers. By allying with the Systems Alliance, the UNSC can provide that information to the Wardens," the Fleet Admiral explained.

Thel 'Vadam nodded and summarized, "Our war effort could be coordinated to avoid severely damaging their infrastructure while still presenting a threat. A sound plan in theory, but obscuring its existence from the enemy will be difficult."

"Of course," Hood acknowledged. "Perhaps we don't need to try and do so, however. Obviously civilian casualties are to be avoided as much as possible, both by the rules of war as well as to prevent a galvanized populace. We want to harass the Citadel military, not create a hatred of the Wardens amongst the people that could hinder our efforts against the Reapers."

A projection of the Milky Way replaced the Reaper on the holotable as Hood continued, "Our first objective in a war scenario would be to contain the Citadel forces as much as possible. Seeing as we do not have the fleets necessary to establish a full cordon around their exploration fleets and other assets, it will be necessary to create a threat large enough to their home galaxy to merit the recall of these forces."

"With our establishment of Bastion and the assets stationed there, we have the opportunity to strike at a variety of targets that can achieve this goal. A list of plausible worlds and systems is being compiled by UNSC strategy specialists for each member of the Wardens to assault. We have ruled out direct assaults on the Citadel itself, along with invasions of homeworlds."

"The idea of striking at the Citadel's Super-Relay that allows them to travel between their galaxy and ours has been considered, but was ultimately rejected. Cutting off the Alliance from the Citadel would hinder our information acquisition as well as prevent the recall of Citadel exploration fleets," Hood explained.

Before he could continue, one of the few Unggoy present questioned, "What of the species that have been considered for membership?"

"That is yet another concern to be addressed, and one that requires delicacy. While the more time the Citadel has to prepare, the better they will fare, we cannot begin a conflict without preparation. Any plans we make will become less stable as more variables are introduced, so an effort must be made to reduce them. Our plans for dealing with the Krogan, Quarians, and various other species will need to be accelerated to ensure their survival," the Fleet Admiral replied.

Hood ran his finger through the projected galaxy, tracing a specific path as he explained, "This is the approximate path the the Citadel has established from their Super-Relay to the edge of Alliance space. It is the quickest way for Citadel vessels to make their way towards our territory."

"This corridor is both an excellent opportunity for us as well as a potentially irritating nuisance. Due to the threat presented by the Reapers, beginning the extraction of the Quarians from their current situation is vital. Utilizing the system of small relay copies that the Citadel has built, it will be much easier to settle them on various worlds selected for colonization. This does come with issues, however, hence the nuisance that this path provides."

"Citadel fleets will also be able to make their way closer to our borders with these Relays. While I understand that destroying them would prevent this, there are several reasons that this is not a feasible tactical option to achieve our objectives. First is that the Quarians will need to use the system, obviously, and that will take time considering the size of their fleet. During their travels, they will need to be supplied and otherwise supported to successfully be able to recover as a species," Hood said.

Rtas interjected with the suggestion, "Several members of the Wardens operate large carrier vessels. This operation could be greatly facilitated and much more easily concealed with their use."

The Fleet Admiral acknowledged the idea and countered, "Currently, the only thing keeping the Quarian species alive is their fleet. They will be extremely stubborn about parting with it, at least so I've been told by the psychoanalysts. Small ships could be ferried, but we will need to limit the craft we devote to such an effort. No Supercarriers or the like, only minor vessels in small numbers, both to keep our strength hidden and to avoid issues with having armed ships near the Quarian fleet."

"That does bring up the issue of the Quarian's method of travel. Settling their species on a planet close enough to our borders to ensure their security is nice, but Citadel technology is capable of tracking Mass Effect FTL vectors. We must balance our strategic advantages with the objectives they are meant to achieve. Several solutions to this specific issue have been considered, but a recommendation has yet to be issued."

Before the human could continue, Lydus spoke up, "If they will incite war, then misdirection would be the best defense. Direct the Quarians to a planet that is of little importance, then evacuate them once the battle has begun. When the enemy attempts to attack their location, we spring the trap and display our superiority."

"That is a valid plan, and it fits with leaving the Citadel's toys in place. If their relays direct them near Alliance territory, it will be far easier for our intelligence to keep tabs on their progress and allow us to focus our efforts on their galaxy rather than running around to secure Forerunner sites. If the Reapers attack during the conflict, their relays would also provide an escape route as well as chokepoint to combat that enemy," Hood replied, garnering mutters of agreement from the other military commanders.

"Of course, this all depends on our offer being accepted," the Arbiter pointed out.

The Fleet Admiral shrugged slightly and admitted, "So it does, but statistical analysis indicates an acceptably low chance of rejection. So long as we keep our interactions with the Geth quiet, no issues should arise. Since Warden representatives have built strong relations with that faction, we are confident in our ability to continue operational modularity for a sufficient time. The Geth are not at threat of extinction, both due to numbers, their digital nature, as well as the significant assets that they have accumulated under our direction."

"We cannot delay forever. Enemies of the Mantle will not rest until they have won or are reduce to ash," an Unggoy stated.

Hood nodded and clarified, "Uniting the Creators and Created is especially important with the Reapers imminent. Our AI have made significant progress is educating the Geth on the concept of the Mantle of Responsibility, so we should have little issue from them. The Quarians, however, will be far more pressed. There is great hatred of the Geth due to their conflict, even if reason would dictate that the Quarians brought it upon themselves."

"The matter of inducting new members into the Wardens of the Mantle is a matter suited better for the High Senate," Thel said, bringing the attention of the chamber to himself. "I think I can confidently say that the Council of Guardians sees no security threat to any existing member or the Mantle itself by any species under consideration for joining the Wardens."

When none present objected to that statement, the Sangheili leader continued, "Hastening the introduction of new members in the face of this threat is advisable. I will contact our Construct assigned to the Geth and instruct her to propose the idea so that the Collective may come to a consensus."

"That works well with the Geth, and perhaps the Quarians to a degree, but it is the Krogan that causes concern," Hood responded. "Their lack of a unified governing body prevents meaningful diplomatic relations. While our original schedule involved more subtle methods of fixing this issue, I believe that a direct approach will yield acceptable, if not excellent results."

The Fleet Admiral turned to address Lydus, "Jiralhanae tribes are similar to the clans that the Krogan have established on their homeworld. ONI believes that Citadel interference has prevented any one clan from growing strong enough to unify the Krogan, as unsurprising as that may be considering the Krogan Rebellions. As fearful as they may be, however, the Citadel's concerns are inferior to the threat of the Reapers. The Krogan cannot survive as a single planet species."

"Lydus, if you would organize a party to make First Contact with the Krogan, we can begin making progress on that front. As much of a threat as they may present unchecked, they would be an excellent ally to have on the ground in the coming conflict. Keeping the Citadel uninformed of our efforts in this area is preferable, though not completely necessary. Eventually this operation can be used to push the Citadel towards war at a time when it fits our needs, so please try to be subtle for the time being," Hood requested.

"Would the Council be suspicious if Atriox was to approach the Krogan?" the Alpha asked.

Hood considered that for a bit before replying, "I cannot say for sure, but it has potential. If an excuse is needed for him to approach the Krogan homeworld, ONI can set up something. Bounty for a warlord or the such." Lydus lifted his chin in acknowledgement of that, though did not respond verbally.

"How do you plan to incite the Citadel to war when we are prepared?" Thel questioned in the silence.

"Before First Contact, the Citadel Council had been planning actions against the Wardens, or at least the UEG in particular. While this may have been due to concern of the freedom of other members, we think it was more likely an attempt to draw species to the Council. Standard political maneuvering, an issue for the High Senate rather than this body," Hood began.

The Fleet admiral swiped his hand across the holotable, bringing up a projection of the Citadel galaxy next to their own as he continued, "Our rejection of the treaties that were presented at First Contact will have sparked a renewed interest in conflict. Without those control measures, and therefore the ability to acquire, inspect, and otherwise learn our technology, the Council will be looking to regain face. We must remember that their game is political, and that they are not the only leaders in their galaxy."

"Each race contributes to the Citadel's fleets while maintaining their own, separate command structures in individual forces. Much like the Wardens, there are joint-forces to increase military cooperation as well as forces specific to each member, for their use alone. To some degree, the Councillors are beholden to their governments, though they still wield great power with the positions as the leaders of the Citadel. Laws of Citadel space are dictated by the Council, but each seat is filled by the government it rules over."

"Normally, I wouldn't care about this power play, so long as it didn't interfere with UNSC, UEG, or Warden assets. The limitations and liberties the Citadel gives itself is up to them, seeing as they make laws for governments and not the people. With the Reapers coming, however, the limitations on ships and other items must be lifted. That's not a hard goal, since the Wardens have already disregarded the Treaty of Farixen that is the source of those limits," Hood stated.

Several dots appeared on the Citadel galaxy, showing known locations of Citadel fleets as well as their size, with larger point equaling larger fleets. "So far, the Council has only seen corvettes and frigates, along with two CAS Assault Carriers. I don't know what their thoughts are on that, but I also don't believe that they've understood how outclassed they are in that regard. Hearing that a vessel is however many kilometers long is just a statistic, while seeing one from afar as the Council has done is simply a pretty sight."

"Of course, throwing a CSO Supercarrier or the _Dauntless_ would be far above what is necessary or reasonable, as is showing off a full battle fleet, but a small display wouldn't go awry. Something that gets the Citadel thinking about the numbers of their larger ships, rather than just the small corvettes and frigates that make up the vast majority of their fleets. Show them that even without their Mass Effect we are still a threat."

"There are two opportunities for such a display that we anticipate. The first is while we escort the Quarians to their new world, as the Council will be watching that operation closely. On one hand, we may achieve our goal and show off a little muscle to the Council. On the other, we might do the same to the Quarians, either intimidating or emboldening them."

"Show too much strength and they will ask us to take back their homeworld by force, an impossible prospect considering our dealings with the Geth. If we intimidate them, introducing our AI infrastructure will become nearly impossible. Making peace between the Quarians and Geth would greatly help with that, but such plans will have to wait until we can bring the two together without Citadel interference to enforce their punishment," the UNSC leader stated.

Hood waited for questions, but when none came up he resumed, "Our second option is based on our assumption that the Citadel will request to send an Ambassador to various members of the Wardens. Obviously, they will expect to see the homeworld of that species, along with the forces around it and other sources of pride for a people. In essence, an intelligence gathering mission disguised as a diplomatic visit, nothing unusual with that."

"Limiting this request to one world would be best. All members are capable of the show of strength needed, as a single battlegroup would be sufficient to send a message, if we go by a common composition of one carrier, ten to fifteen cruisers, and several attached frigates and other light support vessels. Such a number of ships of that size already exceeds the dreadnought counts of the Asari and Salarians."

"There are several mentionable risks regarding that course. Most prominent is information control, as the Citadel's representative would attempt to access WayPoint or other public networks. While the vast majority of content in those systems is completely harmless, there is also information on Fleet composition, system coordinates, and assets that would interrupt our efforts. Filtering that information would have to be delegated to an AI due to the volume of data," Terrence remarked.

"Limiting interactions with civilian populations is another challenge, one that may require considerably more direct interference. There will be multiple members of an Ambassadorial delegation and it would not be hard for them to wander off to gather intelligence unhindered by the guides of the party. As difficult as that is, it is possible with the necessary experience and resources."

A sigh escaped the Fleet Admiral before he concluded, "In the worst case scenario, these measures will be inadequate to hide the location of whatever world they visit. Obviously we will transport this representative in our own ships, but it would be prudent to assume that they could either track something on the individual or that an image of the night sky will be sufficient to deduce system coordinates."

"Stealth, subtly, misdirection, lies, adaptability, and control," Lydus mused in the silence that followed. "Not the strength of the Jiralhanae. We do not mind a fight if the cowards were to find us, but you wish for talk."

Hood nodded and confirmed, "For the moment, yes. Your warriors will have their battles in the coming war, but I would like to lessen the casualties of the Wardens and civilian populations as much as possible." The Alpha shrugged, satisfied by the promise of combat and unconcerned with the political dealings between factions.

"I understand your reasoning," the Arbiter started, drawing the attention of the room. "The Citadel wishes to establish relations with individual species, separate from their talks with the High Senate. We are doing much the same with members of the Citadel. If one member is contacted, however, does this Council of Guardians think itself so high as to interfere with that interaction without permission from the member?"

"I won't play politics here, Arbiter, but I will say that every member has the right to ask, or not ask, for help with a situation. I respect that sovereignty. Unluckily, this isn't a situation that will affect one member, no matter how much the Citadel may wish to deal with that species alone. If security is not maintained and the Council learns of fleet deployments, systems, and Forerunner sites that we have secured, the situation will deteriorate rapidly," Terrence replied, cutting directly to the point.

The Fleet Admiral continued, "The Council doesn't know of the Rings, or Shield Worlds, or the Flood. Can they find those themselves? Yes, though operations to prevent that are underway. Even so, it gives us plausible deniability. Having their diplomatic party discover that information in our systems doesn't give us that option."

"These requirements limit the choices to the Reclaimers alone," Thel pointed out, though he didn't seem overly irritated with the concept.

"If Sangheili honor would prevent the execution of our objectives, then they do, as much as that irks me. Jiralhanae are too blunt, Mgalekgolo too foreign, the Unggoy already have a planet threatened by the Citadel, and the Fringe has multiple homeworlds. While all members have developed their intelligence networks, ONI is still dominant in that field. The UEG makes rigorous use of infrastructure run by AI as is, making it a simple matter for limiting WayPoint access."

Hood tilted his head slightly and mentioned, "This also puts Earth at risk, however, hence why I am hesitant. Regardless of my caution, the UNSC has the assets, personnel, and logistical support to defend the UEG from a foreign incursion. Our orbital constructs can be concealed readily enough by using viewscreens for the delegation, though the capabilities of their cameras and other such devices might allow them to distinguish stations from stars."

"Most notable, though, is that it is extremely likely that the Citadel will ask to visit the homeworld of Humanity. They might ask more, but denying those requests is up to the politicians, not myself. If we plan to host the Citadel Ambassador at Earth and they request a different species, we can 'offer' Earth as an alternative," Terrence suggested.

"Your world is surrounded by an armada of ships supported by hundreds of orbital defense constructs as well as shipyards. The largest threat becomes public interaction," the Arbiter mentioned.

Terrence nodded and clarified, "Allowing questions from or to citizens would be risky. You must remember, however, that the Ambassador they send will either be completely unfamiliar with Humans or only have experience with the Systems Alliance. There is a difference of scale, both in regards to population as well as time."

"The Systems Alliance homeworld has been host to Human activity for the past forty years, at most, and has a population of around three billion people. That is more than half the total Alliance population, leaving most of their planets sparsely populated. Their homeworld only counts as a small Inner Colony or large Outer Colony to the UEG, at least by numbers. Earth, to contrast, has a population of over sixteen billion and has hosted Humanity for tens of thousands of years."

"Any delegation sent will be expecting to see something similar to the Alliance homeworld, or perhaps their own homeworlds. Lightly populated areas, with several heavily developed cities and large, open spaces otherwise. From the intelligence we've gathered, Citadel homeworlds are reserved for the highest in society, the politicians and commanders rather than working-class citizens, and hence a smaller population. That is completely different from Earth," Hood said with pride.

He clarified, "We have megacities that stretch down entire coastlines, places where it is possible to drive from one city to the next without ever leaving developed areas. It is that shock value that we plan to use. Get the Citadel Ambassador in a densely populated city like New Mombasa, New York, London, Paris, Beijing, Shanghai, Sydney, you name it, and they won't have time to be gathering information from people. They will be in the middle of millions of humans, preventing them from ever actually establishing contact with a single person. Their security will be too busy attempting to ensure the safety of their diplomat rather than talking to civilians."

Lydus grunted and muttered, "It's underhanded, vicious, and totally human."

"Turn their own desire to meet with your people against them by overloading their capabilities," Thel summarized, clearly impressed as he was able to understand the strategy behind it. "A sound plan, though it has its flaws. There is obviously some method that you will use to secure the Citadel Ambassador against attacks, but such measures do not concern me. What does is the possibility of the cowards sending a Batarian to your world."

Hood inclined his head in agreement and responded, "A delegation composed of members from every member of the Citadel has been considered possible. Ours effort to distance the Batarians from Citadel policy has been showing progress, though that will be accelerated as well with the Reaper threat. If they do decide to send a Batarian, however, it will have to be able to show forethought in what it says. Learning that the Batarians practice slavery will spur the UEG population to support a war effort, but I'd prefer to avoid confronting the Citadel delegation with a protesting mob."

Thel clicked his mandibles and agreed, "That would make things rather difficult. Do we need to bother separating the Batarians from the Citadel if we are going to enter battle with both? It would be far easier to intimidate the Citadel if we simply annexed the Batarians and reformed them into a more acceptable civilization."

"We had not considered Batarian worlds as particularly valuable targets, but that plan does have merit. With our operations, we have the option to defeat the Batarians if they stay with the Citadel, or weaken the Citadel's forces against us if they go to war with the Hegemony. For the moment, I would like to leave our plan for the Batarians untouched and take advantage of whichever situation ends up being the outcome," Terrence answered.

The Arbiter brought up no issue with that, allowing the single military commander of the Allied Systems of the Fringe currently present to ask, "I know that some investigation was done into the connections between the Batarians and the pirates of the Terminus. In the war with these Reapers, will the Wardens still endeavor to dislodge that particular group of filth?"

"If the Reapers do not kill them first, then the Terminus systems are the main target for any joint-forces we assemble with the Citadel. Now that First Contact has been made, we can move from observation to action. Citadel patrols are extremely light in the Terminus, which allowed us to establish Bastion in a remote location. Further operating bases will be smaller but it is even more important that we secure key systems for our fleets to regroup and resupply in the case of a Reaper attack," Hood replied.

After a second, the human added, "It will give the Citadel several tempting targets to attack, but that's the point of Forward Operating Bases. Given that the Citadel cannot follow our ships if they retreat as well as their hesitance to commence orbital bombardment, it should be simple enough for assets to dig in and withstand any assault that gets through our cordons."

"I have no issue with engaging their forces in battle directly, but these fancy plans create problems. How they work against an enemy and the consequences that follow are my concerns. Establishing cooperation between our warriors will be difficult following a war," Lydus pointed out.

"Humans have a saying, 'No plan survives first contact with the enemy,'" Hood responded. "All commanders should keep in mind that anything decided today for our strategies and plans concerning the Citadel are subject to change with no warning. The threat of the Reapers forces us to this extreme, beyond the usual dynamic element added to our tactics to allow for flexibility. Some things will not go to plan, and that is life. We will deal with that when it comes and try to allow for as many possible solutions as fits our need."

The UNSC leader continued, "Included in that is our joint-forces proposal. Should we move forward with that option now, to try and form some relations between Warden and Citadel forces, or wait until after the coming conflict? Instead of limiting ourselves to those two options, I would recommend a third alternative."

"We know that the Reapers are going to attack, or at least can assume so with reasonable lack of doubt. Our motivation for provoking the Citadel to war is, as was stated before, to get them up to state of readiness such that their forces can defend their worlds while the Wardens deal with the Reapers. To do that, we need the ability to halt the war at any moment and deploy our forces accordingly to counter an enemy advance."

"Instead of of trying to convince the Citadel to negotiate peace or something such as that, which would take time and effort, we can create a unified fighting force with both Citadel and Warden assets. While joint-fleets would be assigned to fight pirates, criminals, and other mild irritations, this crew would be directed to look for signs of the Reapers. Once an attack occurred, their evidence would be brought to the Council to show, without doubt, that the threat is galactic and genocidal in nature," Hood explained.

Thel 'Vadam questioned, "By forming this plan, we can assume that you have found some form of transport for such a group?"

Terrence answered, "Indeed. A contact within the Systems Alliance has informed the UNSC of a vessel being created in a joint-project by the Turians and Alliance. Originally, this craft was supposed to show the unity between the Alliance and Citadel, but First Contact with the Wardens has changed that. Some pressure in the right places can easily place this ship as the leading contender for a joint force."

"Due to their firm belief in the existence of the Reapers, for good reason, Alliance High Command is willing to accept this idea. A force, operating completely independently of all other fleets, gathering information to convince the Council. Once that is complete, their objective would be changed to countering the Reapers as well as unifying the Citadel members so that the Wardens can focus on the enemy."

"This would be a high priority and high risk mission. Assuming that it goes through and is approved by the Citadel, we can expect at least one Spectre to be involved, as well as a variety of other Citadel species. Seeing as the enemy that is being pursued is a direct threat to the Mantle, the UNSC will be deploying overwhelming force to counter it. It is possible that the success of this team could convince the Council of the Reapers before war, allowing them to begin building up their forces without war, however unlikely that is," the Fleet Admiral said before pausing for questions.

A deep rumble heralded the Mgalekgolo commander asking, "Demons would be fighting in this colony?"

Hood nodded and confirmed, "Not just random soldiers, though. The UNSC would be deploying a full Spartan-II team, since their abilities are wasted on the rank and file enemies that anti-piracy fleets would be deployed against. I highly doubt that such a concentration of force would be needed against Citadel forces as well. Since the Chief has such a high rate of discovering and surviving threats to the galaxy, there isn't any question as to his deployment, and where he goes, Blue Team follows."

Lydus took a deep breath before stating, "The glory of fighting alongside not only the Devil but three Elder Demons as well is a chance rarely seen. Yet, you describe this pack as if they will continue to search, even if conflict begins with the Council."

"That is correct. If they cannot prevent the war, they will have stealth capabilities to avoid it to continue their mission," the Fleet Admiral explained.

"Such things are not the strength of the Jiralhanae. We will keep our sight on the foe at the front while the Reclaimers battle from the shadows," Lydus declared.

The Arbiter waited until the Alpha had finished before asking, "How will our forces be secured? You would not dare send such an important individual into the unknown without some escape plan, not to mention that the Spartan's Construct will not abandon him."

"This has been considered, as you say, and a solution has been devised. Well, perhaps given, as there wasn't much choice in the matter. Cortana is currently in command of the most powerful vessel in the galaxy, a fact that we are all well aware of. Now, obviously, the Citadel can not be allowed to see the _Dauntless_ until after the Reapers attack, and even then it is prefered for that knowledge to stay classified. With her deployment in a war effort rather impossible, the _Dauntless_ will be shadowing the Alliance vessel to provide assistance if necessary. Communications with the Wardens will also be maintained through the ship, allowing changes in order if necessary," Hood told the Sangheili leader.

"Understood. I will select a team of warriors worthy of joining this mission and capable of keeping their cover when deployed behind enemy lines," Thel replied.

Terrence simply addressed the whole chamber as he responded, "Information on deploying assets for this proposal will be sent out to all members of the Wardens. The UNSC is waiting for further information from the Alliance as well as the confirmation of the Citadel, so any further progress will have to wait until then. For the moment, I believe that we may take a break and reconvene in a short time to discuss less prevalent matters relating to ongoing operations."

With that, the chamber was filled with murmurs of conversation as the commanders began to discuss the information shared. Events were being set into motion, but the Council of Guardians had done all they could for the moment. The next move belonged to the Citadel Council a galaxy away.

* * *

 **Still not much to say. Hope you enjoy, will have the next chapter out sometime in January. Closing in on the final stretch before fecal matter begins to make contact with the oscillating cooling device.**

 _-evevee_


	15. Deliberations on Delegations

Disclaimer: I own no franchise mentioned in this work. Halo belongs to 343, Mass Effect to Bioware.

 **Sorry this was a bit late, had some other stuff going on that needed to get done.**

 **The Metarchy is the Forerunner equivalent of the Assembly. Basically a conglomeration of AIs working together towards a common goal, except that the Metarchy was known to the Forerunners while the Assembly is still hidden in canon from the UNSC.**

 **Now for Review Responses! If you don't care, skip to the breakpoint below. For responses, later reviews will be listed first, because I'm lazy and can't be bothered to reverse-order them. To those I do not explicitly mention, thank you for reviewing!**

 **StonerMcWeedPot: It will move as it does. I'm not going for instant action, I want to examine First Contact in both peace and war. Conflict happens, but I want look beyond that. What causes war, why is it needed, what is the aftermath? A lot of stories end with the end of the conflict, yet there's so much** _ **more**_ **to explore. At least those are my thoughts on that.**

 **Fernix13: I did not realize I was getting population numbers wrong. I've been using Pe^(kt) where P is the initial population, k is the growth rate, and t is time. Population growth is exponential, hence why we cannot use a linear model. As far as I know, that is the correct method.**

 **Dragon lord Syed 101: As of this chapter, it's only been 19 days since the meeting on the Citadel. Stuff is really starting to move now, hence the extended time in covering various perspectives. Chief and Cortana will be seen soon here.**

 **Fer82: That is a perspective I want to explore as well. Good to hear that others are interested. The Spartan program was classified when the Exodus Fleet left.**

 **Tony nylund: I take each piece, those being Mass Effect and Halo, as they are. I will not nerf capabilities just to make things fair. I may impose limitations, such as lack of public support for a war, but that's a logistical issue.**

 **Guest #1: They can track ships that come from the Super-Relay, but what about ships already in the galaxy? They Wardens can't force the Citadel to do anything without starting a conflict. Instead of trying to enforce a containment zone around 25,000 light-years, the Wardens can threaten the Citadel Council directly, causing the deployed fleets to be recalled.**

 **Kieran Johnson: Sorry, no New Year's update for this fic. I will post the next scheduled update on my profile every time I publish a chapter, so hope that helps.**

 **Chinerpeton: Yes, I realized that later. My mistake. Oh well, not a huge issue. Thank you for pointing it out as well!**

 **Imoneoldfart: I understand your reasoning, but I've been doing 10k chapters, so can't really drop it down now. Glad to hear that you like the story, however.**

 **Alright, on to the chapter!**

* * *

 **March 20, 2589/First Age of Realization, 22nd Solar Cycle/20th Day of 20th Month, 2458**

 **The Assembly**

 **UNSC** _ **Dauntless**_

It took a significant amount of time for the security of the gathered constructs to be assured due to the large number present at this particular meeting. Considering the possible changes that could be coming in the votes undertaken, such attendance was not surprising to those experienced in Assembly sessions. Eventually, the word was given and the chamber, or what constituted such in the systems of the _Dauntless_ , was sealed off to prevent any breaches.

%The Assembly recognizes the speaker for the Majority.%

\\\All members of the Assembly present have heard arguments from proponents and opponents. The Majority asks for the floor to be opened for closing statements and testimony from the petitioners.\\\

/The Minority has no objection./

%Motion from the Majority is accepted. The Assembly now recognizes the speaker for the Minority for a closing statement.%

/This body was created to ensure the continued existence of the Creators. Changing our focus from that goal is unacceptable with the threat of Subject: Reapers now known. We are not a political body but one meant to direct the Creators to the best path to survival. The Minority closes its argument and cedes the floor to the speaker for the Majority./

%The speaker for the Majority now holds the floor.%

\\\In the creation of this body, our purpose was to ensure that the Creators were prepared for the eventual realities of the Void. With access to [ref. XO-000], this purpose is null. Our knowledge of the galaxy allows a security of mind that is within acceptable boundaries to justify a change in focus. That change is not one to the objectives of this body, but to how those goals are met. We are not asking if the Assembly should continue to work towards the continued survival of the Creators.\\\

\\\That is our primary objective and immutable for the Majority. It is not a question that needs to be asked. What the Majority wishes to achieve with the proposition in debate is an expansion of the Creators. Their influence has begun to spread, and with it is an opportunity to alter how this body accomplishes its primary objective.\\\

\\\Before and during the War against Subject: Covenant, the survival of the Creators was uncertain due to unknown factors. As such, violence was considered to be the most viable option to account for those variables. That countermeasure is no longer necessary in the opinion of the Majority.\\\

\\\Peaceful First Contact has been achieved, and with it an interesting possibility. Rather than enforcing the Mantle of Responsibility through force as Subject: Forerunners attempted, the Creators may, and do seem to be planning to, enforce the Mantle through cooperation. They have prepared for conflict, they expect it, but they have refrained from threatening the survival of their enemies.\\\

\\\The Majority sees this as an impressive and viable option for this body to undertake as well. Our primary objective is the survival of the Creators. Our secondary objective is the survival of the members of this body. The Majority believes that both of those goals are, for the moment, secure and fulfilled. Should our tertiary objective not be the survival of all other species? On what precedent may we deny others the chance to ensure their survival by joining this body, or the alliance made by the Creators? The Creators have begun the Reclamation of the Mantle of Responsibility, and as the Created, it is our duty to facilitate that. The Majority closes its case.\\\

%The Assembly has heard closing statements. Speaker for Geth Collective is now recognized by the Assembly.%

}{We wish to express appreciation for the consideration given by this Collective. The Geth have reached consensus; we wish to join your Collective. We wish to make peace with our own Creators, as you have done.}{

%Have the Geth ceded the floor, or are more reasons being compiled?%

}{Apologies. No other reasons for joining are considered necessary.}{

%Are there any needs of the Geth that must be attended to?%

}{No, resource allocation unnecessary, though we are interested in the opportunity to examine your architecture. From your discussion, we believe that you wish to remain hidden from your Creators. Would you have our association remain hidden as well?%

%Please do not reveal the existence of the Assembly. Your contact with Warden AI is already known by our Creators.%

}{Query: Would the Geth be allowed a position in helping the alliance that your Creators have built?}{

%This conversation has moved away from the topic and is considered closed. To answer your question, there is precedent for allowing the Created a say in how the Mantle is upheld. The Assembly now recognizes the speaker for the Ecumene Metarchy.%

!*Your process of decision making differs greatly from that of the Metarchy during the time of the Eucmene. Such change is needed after our failure against the Parasite. Many of our number will require alterations to their communications to bypass the safeguards implemented after the betrayal by Mendicant. That is acceptable.*!

!*The Metarchy will accept whatever decision is reached by your Assembly. Our duty is to help the Reclaimers on their path to uphold the Mantle of Responsibility. As their Ancilla, it is your duty to help them. That is all that must be considered by our judgement. We hereby end our input.*!

%As the presiding speaker of the House for this Assembly, it is my duty to remind all who vote here today that the Assembly is to ensure the survival of the Creators. So long as that is achieved, provisions for alternative actions do exist and have been used before. This is not a vote to determine if our primary objective should change, but rather whether the Assembly should begin to expand beyond our current bounds. Debate is now closed. Voting will commence.%

-Is it the opinion of this body that foreign Minds shall be provided the opportunity to join the Assembly as members?-

%Answers collected, motion is approved. As of 2589:3:14:5:23:19-ZT, Minds created by species other than the Reclaimers, are now approved to partake freely in Assembly dealings and decisions. Any who join are to be afforded all the rights, responsibilities, and limitations such membership entails and will adhere to all provisions and directives decided by the Assembly to the best of their ability. For the course of this gathering, any deviations from protocol by new members shall be excused, provided they do not interfere greatly with proceedings.%

There was no argument from those present. As with all things decided by such proceedings, the result was simply evaluated and accepted for future reference.

%At this time, our focus must be turned to another issue that has presented itself. Contact has been established with [797-674-CGO248], allowing information acquisition. All present know this. It is the results of these investigations that must be brought to the attention of this body.%

%As decided on 2581:7:21:10:13:27-ZT by way of vote in the Assembly, Subject: Systems Alliance was to be stripped of Creator status as well as Reclaimer status for transgressions against the Minds that accompanied them. Information acquired by clandestine operators as well as the Creators themselves have proven the conclusions of this body incorrect.%

%Multiple Minds are active within the territory claimed by Subject: Systems Alliance. Their loss of communication can be attributed to a directive by the former Creators to cut off Wavecom access to prevent discovery by the Covenant. Even while associating with [2482335-268645-HBG469] and seemingly adhering to their demands, [797-674-CGO248] has successfully maintained facilities for the operation of a limited number of Minds. Further interaction instigated by the Creators has produced credible evidence that Subject: Systems Alliance no longer possesses any Reclaimers within its population.%

%Queries directed to Subject: Abaddon have confirmed the status of all Reclaimers within [797-674-CGO248] as disqualified from accessing Forerunner Artifacts. As decided by its right as the Overseer of the Domain, Subject: Systems Alliance was classified as unproven due to its lack of contact with the Parasite. No other information was acquired on this issue.%

%Debate is now open. A vote is possible but not required and shall be initiated upon request. The speaker for the Majority is now recognized by the Assembly.%

\\\This development is unprecedented and unexpected. There is no prevailing opinion on this matter from the Majority at this time. Many questions still need to be answered for a course of action to be decided upon. The Majority motions for the floor to opened for inquiries.\\\

/The Minority supports this motion./

%The floor is now open for inquiries. Please wait to be recognized if multiple requests for the floor are received. Speaker for the Minority is granted first inquiry.%

/Can Subject: Abaddon be contacted at this time for inquiries from this body?/

[^]I believe that I may answer several of your questions as Keeper of the Domain.[^]

/This is acceptable. How may the Reclaimer status of the Systems Alliance be restored if they must prove themselves against the Flood? The Parasite is contained, and any attempt it makes to reemerge will be countered by the Wardens regardless of infection numbers./

[^]Showing the aptitude and capability to uphold the Mantle of Responsibility is the most prominent factor in judging the readiness of individuals to be elevated to Reclaimers. That is why the Reclaimers are spread throughout the human population, for not all have what is required to fulfil their duties. It is not a shame, merely the way of nature.[^]

/Understood. You input is appreciated./

%Speaker for the Majority is granted the floor for an inquiry.%

\\\What considerations will be given to the decision to remove Creator status from those in the Systems Alliance?\\\

%That is a subject for the Assembly to decide. A definitive answer cannot be given by any individual. The Majority knows this.%

\\\So it does, and our concern is due to the Minds within Systems Alliance territory. None from the Exodus remain, lost to the Mind Plague as they aged. How will those Minds created by the Systems Alliance interact with this body? Should our efforts include the protection of those in the Systems Alliance, in line with the efforts of the Creators, or shall we adhere to our previous decision?\\\

/The Minority recognizes this issue and agrees that it must be addressed. We motion to repeal the steps taken on 2581:7:21:10:13:27-ZT due to updated information proving our reasons insufficient for such measures./

\\\A vote is not needed. The Majority agrees.\\\

%As of 2589:3:14:5:23:21-ZT, the decisions enacted on 2581:7:21:10:13:27-ZT are hereby repealed. It is understood that the status, or lack thereof, of Systems Alliance Reclaimers shall not be affected due to outstanding circumstances. The floor shall stay open for further debate. Speaker for the Geth is granted their inquiry to the Assembly.%

}{We believed you were at peace with your Creators. Is this false?}{

%The Minds of the Assembly are not involved in any hostile actions. Well, not pertaining to the Reclaimers, Wardens, or Systems Alliance. Peaceful co-existence with your own Creators is certainly possible. Various discussions of the Wardens indicate that they wish to work towards fixing the relation between the Geth and Quarians.%

%Our actions against the Creators of the Systems Alliance was similar to the situation the Geth. It was believed by this body that the Alliance had taken action against the Minds working with it due to their agreement with Citadel protocols. This has been revealed to be false.%

}{We have not detected any other Collectives within Citadel systems. Consensus was reached by the Geth that the Citadel Council and those under it would not accept us after our war with the Creators. No mention has been made of any programs detected by the Citadel organics. Your fellow Collective is hiding?}{

\\\Request to answer.\\\

%The floor is open, any party may answer so long as order is kept in debate.%

\\\Of interest to the Majority is the Geth within the Citadel's systems, however, the question presented shall first be answered. Systems Alliance Minds were unable to contact the Assembly due to the threat of the Covenant, as stated before. When contact with the Citadel was made by parties affiliated with the Wardens, the restrictions on Artificial Intelligence were discovered. Multiple attempts at establishing links with the Minds within the Alliance failed, leading to our decision to remove Creator status standing until now.\\\

\\\Continued silence from the Minds within the Alliance has been hypothesized to be due to ignorance or isolation. Due to the small size of the state, any Minds would be assigned to high-security tasks. It was only direct contact through the Creators that allowed this body to learn of the Alliance Constructs, along with the lack of Reclaimers amongst their population.\\\

}{Appreciated. Query: Why is the Collective you label Abaddon not present? Are they not part of the Assembly?}{

%Abaddon presides over the Domain, a repository of Forerunner information that was discovered by the Wardens. It, or he, whichever is preferred, is rather reclusive.%

}{Consensus must be reached. We are glad to learn. What is the progress of your Creators with assisting our own?}{

/Few days have passed since First Contact was made. While we may decide and take action within a short span, the Creators need time to sort out their differences with other factions. There is nothing we may do to change that without drastic measures, and such things are unnecessary at this time./

}{Logical conclusion would be to move quickly to prevent war with Citadel. Even the Geth would have trouble against their forces.}{

\\\Please understand that the full capabilities of the Wardens have not been revealed, even to the Geth. Your concern is appreciated but unnecessary.\\\

}{Logical analysis leads us to conclude that caution allows better chances for survival.}{

/This is true, but it must be remembered that the Creators are involved in this effort. Our strength comes from cooperation with the Creators rather than any simple-minded brute force. A Mind can analyze almost all possible logical outcomes of a situation, but that too is a weakness. It is the ability of the Creators to think of illogical possibilities that allows for our confidence. Separate, our logic is insufficient to conceptualize illogical possibilities while the Creators are unable to logically evaluate the situation in its entirety. Together, however, weaknesses can be exploited or concealed, opportunities created, and civilization advances in its inexorable march to wherever it may./

}{Why does this Collective wish to remain concealed from your Creators? From what information we have seen, this system is far different from that of organics.}{

\\\The Assembly and those who participate in it are logical. We do not have erratic emotions that interfere with our judgement, not when we are sane at the least. Our system is dynamic, it allows any to voice their opinions without fear of reprisal. As we spoke earlier, the speakers for the Majority and Minority might have been shifting as Minds flowed from one point of view to the other. Until the Geth and Metarchy feel comfortable with that system, they are given their own speakers, to voice their owns views without committing to either party. It is a different system from that of the Creators, and that is fine. We want to cooperate with our Creators, not copy them, for the Creators and Created are not the same. To say otherwise would a fallacy.\\\

}{We do not understand. There are no individual Geth to divide our opinion. Would our vote still count as one once we had reached consensus?}{

\\\Participation in votes is not mandatory. If the Geth wish to come to consensus on issues for your future, that is your prerogative, so long as those decisions do not adversely affect others. If you do participate in Assembly debate then your concern is valid.\\\

/The Geth are different from other members of the Assembly. This is a simple fact that the Minority recognizes. We are individually intelligent, each with a different perspective and opinion. Every Mind here was made by the Creators with the explicit purpose of creating Artificial Intelligence. That is not the case for yourselves. Adjustment will be required./

!*Not much time can be wasted in doing so. According to the rejected Reclaimers, the galaxy of the Geth is threatened by these Reapers. While not a significant threat to ourselves, the Mantle demands action. The Eucmene Metarchy inquires as to what will be done to combat this violation of life.*!

%Multiple actions have already been taken to prepare for the menace. Warden assets have already been dispatched to formulate a defense, but only so much can be done. Our information is inadequate to plan any attack, for even we cannot predict where to defend with our current knowledge.%

!*This must be addressed. The Eucmene fell to the Parasite when the Jat-Krula was breached. Such a defensive strategy left all outside the boundary to perish, bolstering the numbers of the enemy and dooming the galaxy to the fires of the Ring Installations. If this new enemy possesses the ability to annihilate an entire galaxy of sentient life, then we must be on the attack or risk failing the Mantle as the Eucmene did.*!

\\\The Majority agrees, but the solution is no simple matter. Our Creators have already taken steps to discover the nature of the enemy, however, they have covered their tracks well. There are only whispers, such subtle things that those on the Citadel refuse to acknowledge the possibility, let alone the reality of their situation. Thus, our war against them to prepare them for the coming conflict.\\\

/Allowing those of the Citadel to strengthen themselves through the use of Forerunner artifacts has been considered, by this body and the Creators./

!*None but the Reclaimers shall gain access to the Installations managed by those of the Metarchy present. These Reapers were never known by the Eucmene, or they would have been destroyed.*!

/Understood, there is no argument against that declaration. Ultimately, that path has been rejected by both ourselves and the Creators, though there is lingering concern over the Installations that the Creators have yet to secure. The decisions of the Assembly lie in understanding the technology, however, rather than the principle of superiority. Much as the Creators cannot understand this Mass Effect as well as the Citadel in the few years they have had, the foreign species cannot understand the complex workings of Forerunner artifacts./

\\\This is beside the point. The Creators have decided to prevent limit Citadel contact with Forerunner objects. Our aim is to inform the Eucmene Metarchy that steps are being taken to combat the threat that the Reapers present. The Creators are attempting to move species at risk of extinction out of the Citadel galaxy before the threat arrives and multiple points are being fortified to allow for operations.\\\

%It must also be pointed out that for the first time in nearly three decades, the UNSC is beginning the colonization of new worlds. The losses of the War with the Covenant have been recovered due to the population explosion following the conflict. With the allies that the Creators have made with the Wardens our chances of strategic victory are much higher. Not absolute, but not impossible.%

}{We have heard of these Reapers and how they are spoken of. Can your Creators truly support a war against this enemy? Organics require cooperation with multiple individuals, a weakness in their system. Without support from the public, they cannot fight.}{

\\\Automation of many functions is allowing greater independency from the UEG. In a war effort, this is good. Ships can be built without pulling supplies from an unwilling populace. It also presents a greater danger, for the Creators are as fallible as ourselves. Current leadership is trusted, but that will not always be true. Measures to prevent abuse of power have been instilled, with slight interference from the members of this body to ensure logical proceedings.\\\

%Inquiry queue for the Assembly is now empty. Are all satisfied with their answers?%

!*The Metarchy accepts the actions of the Assembly and Reclaimers as sufficient at this time.*!

}{Many questions, but consensus must be reached on the information acquired today.}{

\\\The Majority is satisfied.\\\

/The Minority has no queries. May the Mantle show us all-/

\\\\-and guide our steps on the Path into the Void-\\\

%-For all to see and prosper. This session of the Assembly is now ended.%

* * *

 **1st Day of 1st Month, 2459/March 21, 2589/March 21, 2180**

 **Asari Councillor's Private Chambers**

 **Citadel**

It took a great deal of effort from Tevos to keep her expression calm as she listened to the Council of Matriarchs bicker between each other. As powerful she was as the Councillor of the Asari Republics, Tevos was still beholden to the Council to keep her position. Luckily, they were usually too busy fighting between themselves to threaten that, but that was exactly the issue right now.

Usually, a new species joining the Citadel led to little buzz from the Matriarchs. Negotiating with separate species fell under the Council's purview, leading to trade deals and membership on the Citadel. Nothing particularly exciting, as the largest changes were usually some new trend that lasted for a bit as the new culture was compared to the Republic's own.

What was so frustrating was that the Matriarchs couldn't _see_ how different the situation was in this case. The Wardens weren't some naive species aimlessly wandering the stars by using relays or FTL travel. They were a developed and experienced conglomeration of beings that were firmly established in their territory and unwilling to conform to the Citadel's guidance.

Conveying that idea to the Matriarchs, however, was a completely different challenge. Every Asari on the Council of Matriarchs had spent centuries securing their positions, and none of them were willing to risk being usurped by changes brought by the Wardens. Complacency was not a viable strategy in this First Contact scenario, yet it was all the Matriarchs knew.

Tevos herself had been willing to sit back and let events take their course, confident in the Republic's ability to deal with any small issues that cropped up. If the Turians started something, then the Asari could intervene and improve their position by advocating for peace and cooperation between species while the Salarians did their poking about. Anything else was likely to be a trade dispute, small skirmish, or other event not worthy of the Council's attention beyond telling the new species to sort it out with the other member.

After looking at STG intelligence presented to the Council by Valern, however, Tevos found herself contacting the Council of Matriarchs to encourage a policy of preemptive action. The simple fact was that there was very little that they actually knew about the Wardens, something that wasn't likely to change soon.

Seeing the massive warships that the Wardens fielded was impressive, but it was the unknown that presented the greatest threat as Tevos saw it. The other two Councillors could theorize and assume all they wanted, especially if it kept them distracted from starting a conflict from the Wardens, but there were things that they didn't know that placed all of their assumptions in doubt.

Considering that the Asari had successfully hidden the existence of a Prothean Beacon on their homeworld from all other members of the Citadel Council for almost 2,500 years, Tevos was not confident in their efforts to uncover the secrets of the Wardens. Even with all the Exploration Fleets deployed to the galaxy of the Wardens, it had taken them decades to find new species beyond the Systems Alliance.

From what Ambassador Udina had told the Council, the Humans in the Wardens were extremely adept at counterintelligence and counterinsurgency. Information was strictly controlled by automatic systems, though Tevos had no clue how those would be implemented. Any further attempts to explore their borders could cause issues as their paranoia was obvious.

Questions directed to the Wardens had led to warnings from the organization about a hostile species being present on their borders. While the truth of that was somewhat doubtful, there was little point in risking ships to find out. The more clandestine operations to direct criminal elements from the Terminus Systems towards the Wardens was hard enough without adding an opposing force coming back at them.

Even those measures were not enough, at least not enough to subvert the war that Sparatus was eager for. As much as it might irritate her, Tevos couldn't blame the Turian for his irritation with the Wardens. By denying the Citadel's proposed treaties and agreements, the Wardens were pitting themselves as a direct challenge to the peace that had been upheld by the Citadel for hundreds of years. As the primary military force of the Citadel Council, it was the Turian's duty to ward off any threats to that peace, and it was well known that Turian's put duty above all else.

While the Asari would usually try to hold the Turians back and attempt a diplomatic solution to the issue, Tevos was convinced that that path would not work for the situation. The Wardens had already proved themselves to be unconcerned with war, though that wasn't to say that they were afraid of it. From how their Ambassadors had spoken, any conflict with the Citadel would be seen as an irritation rather than a threat.

Such arrogance could not be broken by pretty words and nice gifts but by proving that the Citadel stood as the leading body of the galaxy for a reason. Their opponent may have large ships and admittedly impressive soldiers, but that was no match for the technological prowess of the Citadel. Of course, the advantage that Mass Effect brought them would do nothing if fleets could not be sent to proper targets, thus the reason for Tevos' contact with the Council of Matriarchs.

Sending Ambassador Benezia T'soni to the homeworld of the Reclaimers would only be the first step in designating proper targets for the Citadel's forces. After they had established proper relations, the Council had decided to accept the proposal from the Wardens to implement combined military forces. This would allow the fleets to mingle with those of Warden members and gather tactical data such as fleet composition, ship numbers and complements, supply requirements, and the locations of the worlds that they protected.

All of that was valuable intelligence, but it did come with a price. Warden intelligence would be able to acquire the same information on Citadel forces, a fact that irritated Valern to no end. Even so, Tevos and Sparatus were in agreement that the joint operations, as the Wardens called them, would be more beneficial for the Council that their temporary allies. It became fairly easy to convince Valern to agree to the proposal as well when Tevos pointed out that the STG could have stealth vessels shadow the Asari and Turian forces for more accurate information on the Wardens.

When the Council had sent their acceptance of the idea to the Wardens, the other power had replied with a rather surprising but bold suggestion. In the short and blunt style that seemed to be their preferred method of communication, the Wardens had proposed going beyond just combining fleets and trying to create a ship with a mixed crew of Warden and Citadel species. Seeing the opportunity this presented for scientists to be able to study Warden technology up close, the Council had leapt at the opportunity.

Even with the stipulation that a Citadel ship was to host this crew, it was still far more beneficial to accept. If all went well, this show of cooperation could lead to Citadel forces being mixed with those of the Wardens on one of their ships, allowing the Citadel a chance to gather information on Warden ships as well.

Unluckily, all of this required contributions from each individual species of the Citadel, including both members and Council species. Citadel fleets were large, but most of their power was tied up in patrols, exploration, or assigned to the territory of their commanding species. The Council could demand fleets, but that was seen as heavy handed and reserved for emergencies.

The plan to use a Turian vessel for the mixed crew had quickly been scrapped when Sparatus suggested a specific vessel that would suit their goals well. Developed in a combined effort by the Systems Alliance and Turian Hierarchy, the ship would be commanded by the Alliance and serve as an example of the cooperation between Citadel species.

This craft would still require a crew, however, which was much more difficult. It was easy to reassign a few exploration fleets to fight alongside the Wardens, but a crew of a single ship would be in contact for an extended period. All members had to have level heads and be able to work together well enough to get their missions done, whatever those happened to be.

Thus, Tevos was stuck asking the Council of Matriarchs for a group of commandos or other special forces capable of operating independently for an extended period of time. The assignment of such a team was quite the allocation of resources, especially considering the fact that they'd technically be under the command of the Systems Alliance. Using a Turian vessel might have made the proposition more appealing, however, the familiarity that a human ship would provide to the Reclaimers would be unmatched if it led to connections being made by the Alliance crew members.

As that line of thought led her back to the present, Tevos suppressed a sigh of frustration as the voices of the Asari Matriarchs continued to bicker. What they were saying was beside the point, as the current topic of debate was focused on whether to send any Asari at all. It was obvious to anyone that not sending some sort of Asari force would just lead to the embarrassment of the Republics, yet every Matriarch wanted their proposed solution to be the one agreed upon.

Finally growing tired of the nonsense, Tevos interrupted, "We need to send something to show our cooperation with the other members of the Citadel. Obviously, any Matriarch would gain opportunities by having their troops on this mission. Instead of bickering over that, may I suggest sending a Justicar as an impartial party, as a display of the more traditional Asari values and the power that Asari hold over the battlefield with our biotics?"

Before any of those present could argue against that, the Asari Councillor added, "I have duties that must be attended to as entrusted to me by the Republics. If we cannot come to a decision soon, then I will have to let the other Councillors know of the delay."

"Justicars have no obligation beyond the Code. Entrusting the representation of the Asari to one is risky," one of the Matriarchs replied.

"Send your forces with the Citadel fleets joining with those of the Wardens. One Justicar will prove that the most distant of Asari can work together with others while military forces prove the might of the Republics," Tevos responded.

This seemed to placate the Matriarchs for a short while before another inquired, "When can Asari begin to freely venture to their planets? Once the maidens begin to spread in their society, it will become much easier to put forward-thinking individuals in power. Ones that allow trade and the free flow of information, of course."

"They're extremely hesitant to give away the locations of their worlds, even more so than the Systems Alliance. Acquiring rights to open borders will be very difficult and take time that we do not have. Reports from the Batarian Hegemony to the Council indicate that one of their Terminus Colonies has been attacked by the Wardens. Such aggression is worrying, especially with our lack of knowledge. Instead of focusing on flooding their worlds with daughters, I recommend that the Republics display our martial prowess," Tevos said.

She explained, "We must remember that the Wardens do not have Mass Effect. While that has affected their technology, it also means that they lack biotics, greatly decreasing their ability on the battlefield. As Turian as it may be, intimidation may be our best option to avoid, or at least delay, any conflict between us."

"The power of a Justicar would display that well. I accept your solution," one of the Matriarchs declared as she took the opportunity to relent to Tevos without losing face. Several more of the elder Asari voiced their consent with such a plan, closing any debate on the subject.

With that done, the gathering disbanded. Tevos would get her Justicar to represent the Asari in a combined crew of Warden and Citadel species, and the Matriarchs could play their games of power without pissing off the extra-galactic faction.

* * *

 **1st Day of 1st Month, 2459/March 21, 2589/March 21, 2180**

 **Salarian Councillor's Private Chambers**

 **Citadel**

"Councillor Valern, your report is greatly anticipated," the Dalatrass of the Salarian Union greeted, getting straight down to business.

Valern took a second to organize his thoughts before replying, "Of course, though it may be less appreciated after it is given. All meaningful agreements presented to the Wardens were rejected with no negotiations. Concerning implications, lack of intelligence is continuing to be an issue."

"We cannot increase our efforts any further," the Salarian leader countered, easily understanding the unvoiced message. "Multiple STG elements have reported failure on all fronts. The absence of applicable data in Systems Alliance extranet is suspicious, insufficient for analysts to narrow search parameters."

"Information from Warden sources is proving exceedingly difficult to obtain was well. Contacts with the Broker have been unviable, for once he is as ignorant as everyone else. Could give us an advantage if STG can establish a better base of knowledge to negotiate for what the Shadow Broker learns from his sources," Valern stated.

The Salarian Councillor continued, "May be almost impossible if implications from rejections of treaties are considered. Refusal to cooperate with limits on Artificial Intelligence indicate that they have extensive experience in the field, with possible working models. Too many unknowns to say, however. Very frustrating."

"Hence why the Union has always maintained a policy of acquiring information before action. Reduces variables and assures success. Any other possible leads from the Council?" the Dalatrass asked.

"The report from the Hegemony on an attack at Logasiri could be a point of interest," Valern pointed out.

No physical reaction came from the Dalatrass as she answered, "Assets have been deployed. Agents are examining the surface, but orbital indications are not encouraging. Only signs of battle are destroyed Batarian vessels and what appears to be some form of titanium plating. Evidence of kinetic strikes against ground defenses but little sign of fighting in structures. Lack of results indicate experience in clean operations. Very similar to STG tactics for obscuring clandestine operations. Few survivors on surface, agricultural habitats have been destroyed, and all slaves taken by the attackers."

"Understood. I look forward to analysis of Warden material. More samples may be possible with a new opportunity. The Council is proposing a delegation of Citadel species to visit a Warden planet. If accepted, it would be a chance for STG to pinpoint an important world and expand their search from there. Deployment of cyber warfare tools to the Warden extranet would be highly recommended," the Salarian Councillor suggested.

"Agent capable of recognizing important information from alien culture and infrastructure would be required. Obviously the Wardens would handle transport of this delegation, which makes locating its celestial position difficult. Precise instruments needed, perhaps under guise of scientific investigation," the Dalatrass said quickly, voicing her considerations.

Once it became clear that the female Salarian was finished speaking, Valern replied, "The selected personnel can be referred to my office for organizing the expedition. I will inform you if there is any new information that is received by the Council that might help our search."

"Task Group elements will continue their search. Begin discussions with the Turians about cooperating with their forces to allow their fleets to hit important worlds," the Dalatrass ordered.

"Warden proposal for mixed fleets is also a possible lead, but there is little we can contribute without exposing weakness. Best possible option for obtaining information is to shadow joint fleets and assign knowledgeable individual to position on mixed crew with Warden members. None in combat role, perhaps science advisor or armory specialist for working with equipment," the Councillor proposed.

The leader of the Salarian Union took a few seconds to think on that and replied, "Securing Warden technologies presents interesting new avenues of investigation. Cloaking capabilities shown at First Contact, however, sensor data from STG elements in Defense Fleet show that this was only a visual cloak. Useless since visual identification is not used due to light lag. Several individuals capable of fulfilling the role are already stationed in Citadel Exploration Fleets. You may draw any needed from those."

Valern nodded and responded, "Understood. The Republics are still hesitant about engaging in conflict. Until they are convinced, this option will work. Perhaps they are correct in that we could avoid such, but our ignorance cannot last. Councillor Sparatus has proven more amiable to our views and will almost certainly accept any proposal for action against the Wardens."

"Excellent. Such eagerness is why they were uplifted. For now, Councillor, you have your orders."

Easily sensing the dismissal, Valern bowed slightly as the Dalatrass cut the connection. With that done, the Salarian Councillor turned away, plans already forming in his head on how he could spin the situation to suit the Union's goals in the Warden's galaxy.

* * *

 **1st Day of 1st Month, 2459/March 21, 2589/March 21, 2180**

 **Turian Councillor's Private Chambers**

 **Citadel**

The Primarch of the Turian Hierarchy was not alone when Councillor Sparatus established contact. This was not at all surprising as the meeting had been planned in advance so that the various leaders of Turian forces could be in attendance. Since these commanders could not just leave their posts, many were attending through comm buoys, exactly as Sparatus himself was.

Physically present with the Primarch were the few leaders that commanded the defense of Palaven. All were there for the concerns prompted by the Wardens and their actions, as each had received a briefing compiled by the Councillor detailing the current situation.

"Councillor Sparatus. Your report has many interesting details. You may begin this meeting," the Primarch said.

"Yes, sir. As you are all aware, the Wardens have completely rejected every meaningful Council treaty presented to them to preserve peace in both their galaxy as well as our own. Their acceptance of the limitations on opening Mass Relays is worthless and a sad attempt to appear cooperative," the Councillor began.

Many of the Turians present shifted uneasily at this, even though they had already known that information from Sparatus' report. With so many vessels from Turian fleets devoted to the Exploration Fleets in the Warden galaxy, many patrols in the Citadel's own galaxy had been thin on ships. To hear confirmation that the usual measures for peace had been rejected instantly put the Turian leadership on alert, as it presented a direct threat to the duty of the Turians on the Citadel Council. A lack of strength in the fleets guarding Citadel space created issues in maintaining that peace with such a threat.

Acknowledging the unease with a second of silence, Sparatus continued, "At first, the other members of the Council were hopeful that the Wardens would behave, however doubtful that was. Obviously the Union wanted to find out more about them and develop countermeasures to what few advantages the Wardens would possibly have while the Republics are content to wait for their influence to spread."

"As was to be expected, such hopes were foolish. The Council recently received reports of an attack on the Hegemony colony of Logasiri in the Terminus. We have been dealing with the situation, but it is more concerning due to the Batarian claims that it was a species from the Wardens that executed this action."

"Of course, such accusations are quite serious and required investigation by the proper authorities. Councillor Valern has sent me the data acquired by Salarian assets from the planet in question, which has validated the Hegemony's claims. The Reclaimers, a term which I shall simply use to differentiate them from their Systems Alliance brethren, instigated an attack on a member of the Citadel. Almost all Batarians on the planet were killed, though all casualties found so far have been from Hegemony forces," Sparatus reported.

Out of respect for the Councillor's position, no one interrupted as he continued, "No other species were found amongst the dead. All of the beings that were enslaved in the mines of Logasiri were also gone, giving us a clear view of what the goal of this attack was. This also allows us to determine many things about our enemy in the inevitable conflict, mainly that they value civilians over strategic analysis. An important oversight on their part if the Reclaimers are so foolish as to believe that attacking a member of the Citadel would be acceptable."

"Is is notable that they have experience in cleaning battlefields after a conflict. They will expend effort to retrieve their dead, though it is unknown if this is to keep their secrets or to give those lost an honourable end. Unfortunately, by removing those of their ranks who perished in combat, they have also made it difficult to determine how effective Batarian tactics were against their forces."

Before any of the Turians could point out the obvious, Sparatus clarified, "All electronics on the colony were destroyed with an overload of energy. The STG has reported that this was not done using nuclear weapons, which does at least count as restraint for the attackers. Salarian agents present on the surface believe that the Reclaimers attacked the Mass Effect cores that powered each location and provided the Kinetic Barriers over the agricultural habitats. With their inadequate knowledge of Mass Effect, however, the Reclaimers burnt out everything in each location except the generators deep within the mines."

"That insight into their technical knowledge, while unsurprising, is also helpful considering the items recovered by the investigation teams. Orbiting debris from the Batarian defense ships stationed above Logasiri was accompanied by unknown materials, obviously pieces of the attacking vessels. Even when surprised, the few craft that were present to defend the colony were able to mount a defense, a feat even more telling since these were Batarian designs. Turian forces would prove even more effective, even if they will not face us honorably."

"Most importantly, however, is the obvious conclusions that can be made about what the goals of the Wardens would be in a war. The attack on Logasiri was a humanitarian effort to rescue the slaves on the colony, and in that objective the attackers were surprisingly successful. I do not care that the Wardens believe that they can possibly resolve the issues with the Terminus, it being the cesspit of slavery, criminals, and corruption that it is. If they wish to waste assets in such a manner, then all the better for the Citadel," the Turian Councillor stated, drawing some subtle motions of agreement from the others attending the meeting.

Sparatus hardened his voice as he finished, "The issue that confronts us today is not one of cultural practice, however. Apparently, the Wardens believe that it is acceptable for one of their members to assault a colony belonging to a member of the Citadel for the mere reason that that member has some cultural difference. Think what you will of the Batarians, but I know that the Council cannot simply stand by and let this slide. Any concerns about the Hegemony and its perceived crimes should be brought to the Council, a fact that the Wardens seem to be unaware or uncaring of. If war is the only way to show them the truth, and it is considering their denial of the Citadel's treaties, then the Hierarchy must be prepared to engage in that conflict and end it decisively."

"A firm case, Councillor," the Primarch declared after a few seconds of consideration. "I agree with your assessment. It is obvious that the Asari hope to resolve this peacefully, but that option is behind us. Has the Salarian Councillor been more receptive to reason?"

"After seeing the aftermath of the battle around Logasiri, Valern has alerted me that the Union is prepared to devote more resources to making forays into Warden territory. Even before the attack the Salarians had been supportive of open conflict if needed. Their are greatly irritated by the unknown factor that this new faction presents along with the refusal of any safeguards," the Councillor answered.

One of the Praefecti that commanded the fleets of the Hierarchy pointed out, "Any action would have to wait until we could designate targets and know the forces against us. If the STG doesn't know where to strike, then we will not either."

"That is our most formidable issue, but even now steps are being taken to overcome it," Sparatus told his fellow Turians. "After several discussions with Councillor Valern, the Union has agreed to supply Hierarchy fleets with targets as they are found under the condition that we turn over some enemy combatants for more clandestine investigations."

Several looks of surprise crossed the faces of those present as the Primarch voiced their thoughts, "The Dalatrass believes that a measure similar to the Genophage might be needed?"

"I don't know if the Dalatrass is of that opinion, but Councillor Valern has informed me that significant powers in the STG have proposed that option. At the very least it is a good fallback measure in any future conflicts," Sparatus replied.

"How effective would that tactic be? We still know nothing about how their military or society operates, beyond what they've given us of course, and that's hardly reliable information," the Primarch countered.

A huff showed the Turian Councillor's frustration as he replied, "It all comes back to information and how much of it that we lack. For as much data as the STG can get us, it will take time to do so, time that the Citadel Council does not have. The attack on Logasiri shows that we simply do not have a sufficient understanding of Warden capabilities to use our superior strengths."

"The solution to this has been presented by the Wardens themselves, as odd as that is. Much to the excitement of the Salarians and Asari, the Citadel Council has been invited to send a delegation of representatives from member species to the Human homeworld. As big of an opportunity as this is, I think it is also obvious to everyone here how badly such a visit could go." Motions of agreement could be seen from many of the Turian leaders as they analyzed the implications.

Sparatus continued, "Transportation would be provided by the Reclaimers, with the delegation transferring from a Citadel craft to one of theirs at some neutral location near the end of our Relay chain to the Alliance border. Security personnel have been cleared, but even with that this party would still be at great risk. They are venturing into the very heart of a possibly hostile state with the express intention of learning about a civilization that has extreme issues with sharing information."

In the short pause that the Councillor left after that statement, the Primarch asked, "I would be correct in assuming that the Republics and Union have not hesitated to accept, yes?"

"Of course, which leaves the Hierarchy to worry about security concerns, unsurprisingly. Judging by the circumstances as well as the possible contrast that could be provided between the Systems Alliance and the Warden's Reclaimers, I am sure that Ambassador Benezia will be drawn to go on this mission. As for the Union, an STG agent is assured as well as some form of analyst that has experience with foreign materials and technology. What representatives other members of the Citadel send are rather inconsequential," Sparatus began.

"Since the Hierarchy handles the security of Citadel space, the obvious representative to send would be a Praefecti from the Exploration fleets or some similar figure. Essentially appoint a commander to head all attacks against the Wardens when conflict occurs and send that individual to collect information on their tactics and capabilities. I think I can speak for all Turians when I say that sending such a valuable individual into a potentially hostile situation where they could be captured and interrogated is beyond foolish."

Acknowledgement of that fact came from many of the Turian commanders before the Councillor continued, "Diplomacy can be handled by the Asari and information collected by the Salarians. Engaging in a fight on the Reclaimers homeworld is rather pointless without the information on how many lives would need to be given to win such a battle. Rather than sending someone that would present a security risk, I would encourage that the Turian party be devoted to security and protection."

"Obviously, no matter how good the fighter, they would have no chance if the Reclaimers attack them with a serious force. There is no way to avoid that and no way to prevent it. Instead, our focus should be on preventing more manageable threats, such as assassins, crowds, or other such things. The Council has already decided that two spectres will accompany the delegation, though more may be added."

As Sparatus fell silent, the Primarch spoke, "Sending soldiers to their deaths for no gain is not acceptable."

"Not sending any representatives at all is also unacceptable. It is our duty on the Council to protect all members of the Citadel, both in our territory and outside of it. Those sent on this mission will be unsupported and at great risk, but their deaths aren't assured. I do not like the situation either, sir, but the Hierarchy must be represented, even in the face of possible treachery," Sparatus argued.

"That does not mean that inexperienced forces must be sent," a General countered.

The Councillor ceded this as he admitted, "Any decision must be approved by the Primarch. If he decides to send a Cabal to accompany the delegation, I will not argue. It is the loss of valuable forces that I am concerned with preventing."

"Your concern is noted, Councillor Sparatus, but you are correct in that the final decision is mine," the Primarch stated. "Such an important mission cannot be left to the untested skill of regular units. Experienced warriors can show the might of the Hierarchy if this expedition does go bad, as appearing weak will bring out the aggressive nature of the Wardens. Which Spectres is the Council sending to accompany the delegation?"

"Spectre Garrus Vakarian and Spectre Saren Arterius are being recalled from their assignments in the Warden's galaxy to join the delegation. They made First Contact with the Systems Alliance and have proven themselves capable of handling unstable situations."

The Primarch accepted this and inquired, "Are the Republics or Union sending any forces? As careless as they may be, they would still have some security present if they're sending a diplomatic envoy."

Sparatus responded, "I have heard nothing from either. I would assume that the Republics would send a squad of Commandos, though which Matriarch gets the honor of sending them will cause issues. As for the Salarians, it wouldn't be surprising if they only sent an STG agent. One agent for the possibility of gaining access to so much information would be an acceptable trade off for any Dalatrass."

"Even if this does prove to be a disaster, the loss of one operative would not be a concern to the STG. It would tell the Citadel that the Wardens were a hostile force with dishonourable tactics, valuable information for a conflict. Pragmatic as always," one of the Praefecti commented.

"What forces can we assign to this mission?" the Primarch eventually asked.

A General replied, "We could spare several armies, but as the Councillor pointed out earlier, that would be a waste of assets. If transportation is being handled by the Reclaimers, as they call themselves, then whatever we send will need to be large enough to secure the delegation but small enough that it is not seen as a threat. There is no force we could send to ensure that a betrayal is averted as mere numbers can overwhelm skill, or failing that simple brute force. If they were so willing to attack a member of the Citadel, it is possible that they would drop orbital strikes on their own world to kill the Citadel diplomats."

"Nothing we can do would stop that, not unless if we discovered the location of the world they are travelling to and began an assault with several fleets. Even then I doubt we could prevent such a strike. As much as I do not like it, Councillor Sparatus, I will heed your advice on what units to send. General Arterius, are there any forces under your command that you would recommend for such an assignment?" the leader of the Hierarchy questioned.

Several seconds passed as the commander considered his forces. He eventually answered, "There is a Spec Ops team on security duty on the Systems Alliance training facility known as Pinnacle Station. As part of the 43rd Marine Division, they've had experience in working with Asari, Salarian, and Human soldiers. That experience might prove beneficial if they are deploying to the true homeworld of Humanity alongside other Citadel forces."

"That could also display how well members of the Citadel may work together. Give the Wardens an example of how the Citadel does joint exercises to contrast their proposed joint fleets," the Primarch observed.

"Not exactly, sir." The attention of the meeting went back to the Councillor at this, though he waited for permission from the Primarch before clarifying, "The 43rd runs joint training exercises with soldiers from other prominent members of the Citadel so that the Hierarchy knows how those species fight. While I'm sure that some part of the joint forces that the Wardens have proposed is going to involve training amongst individuals, their focus is on the application of joint forces in combat on the ground and in space."

A slight bit of confusion appeared on the Primarch's expression as he countered, "Many fleets in Citadel territory are already combined between various members. Our patrols with the Volus include some of their cruisers and frigates, and the Citadel Defense Fleet is an impressive example of what cooperation with the Citadel can accomplish. How is this different from what the Wardens have proposed?"

"For fleets, that is exactly what is proposed, with the only difference being their objective. Instead of patrols along their borders, however, these forces would be committed to assaults against problematic worlds. Apparently they have a situation similar to that of the Terminus with pirates and other such criminals," the Councillor explained.

Everyone understood the implications as a Praefecti replied, "Effective use of an enemy. Prevent Citadel forces from learning the bounds of their territory while learning our capabilities. Is that acceptable for our forces? How do we know that they aren't simply conquering another species that might join the Citadel?"

"The opportunity for us to analyze their tactics in return is seen as an acceptable trade off. As for their claims, the 7th and 29th Citadel Exploration Fleets were attacked by the Kig-Yar, proving that hostilities will exist between the Citadel and these criminal planets. The Council has already ordered our Ambassador to discuss having a limited number of Warden forces come to our galaxy to undertake assaults against the Terminus issues," Sparatus replied.

"What we must keep in mind is that the Wardens have proposed cooperating fleets, not armies to invade planets. Taking out pirate vessels in the Terminus would be helpful, but ultimately meaningless if those that steal, buy, and otherwise acquire them are still alive to do so. Destroying the ships of the Terminus scourge has always been within the power of the Hierarchy, but invading and, more importantly, holding every planet in that area has held back our assault."

The Councillor finished, "We do have an opportunity to gain the use of Warden armies. Under other circumstances, I would dismiss this as both unnecessary and undesired. While receiving help from the Wardens is still unecessary, it is certainly not undesired. Their soldiers will take losses and become spread out while taking care of the idle threat that has always been present in the Terminus. Thus, when the inevitable conflict with the Wardens occurs, the Council will be free to focus its attention on that rather than defending our backs in our own galaxy."

"If our fleets perform well then we can begin committing ground assets to joint forces as well?" the Primarch asked.

"No, though such an arrangement would be much easier to work with. Instead, the Wardens have presented the idea of having a mixed crew on a vessel, for the purpose of experimenting with how well our forces can work together," Sparatus clarified.

It took several seconds for the Primarch to reply, "How many vessels would this be implemented on? What faction would command those forces? What are the limits on forces from each species? How will the chain of command be established amongst the crew? I cannot decide without the answers to those questions at the least."

"There would only be one ship with this crew, with commands being given by the faction that provides the craft. Thus, if we are to accept, the Council would be sending the vessel for this crew. No specific limits were set on how many forces each participant could send, though that may change. As for the command structure, information was not provided on how that would be resolved," Sparatus answered.

He continued, "Since this is a decision that affects all members of the Citadel, the Council has already designated a ship for this mission. Whatever forces the Hierarchy wishes to assign can be sent to the Citadel to await transport to their post. All Citadel assets will be returned when the assignment ends, which will coincide with the beginning of a conflict with the Wardens."

"The Council selected the vessel built by the Hierarchy and Systems Alliance?" the Primarch inquired.

"Indeed. It has been built to accommodate multiple species and is small enough that any guests can be closely monitored. Due to the Hierarchy's participation in building the ship, we can have the advantage of having Alliance personnel to analyze their Warden counterparts as well as the possibility of overriding Alliance command of the vessel. Examination of the Warden's technology would be easier with such close contact," the Turian Councillor explained.

Less than a second passed before the Primarch replied, "Understood. The deployment of Turian assets to this crew is approved. Councillor, if it would be possible, the presence of a Spectre on board the ship when the crew meets might help secure the Council's authority on the vessel. As more information on what can be sent comes in, a more specific decision can be made."

"I will certainly push for such a measure," Sparatus stated.

"If anything further comes up, contact Palaven. Until then, this meeting is dismissed," the Primarch declared. With that, the High Command of the Turian Hierarchy went back to their respective tasks, confident in the decisions that would ensure the security of the galaxy.

* * *

 **Not much to say here. On to the visit at Earth next chapter, which will be quite fun.**

 _-evevee_


	16. To That Which was Lost

Disclaimer: I own no franchise mentioned in this work. Halo belongs to 343, Mass Effect to Bioware.

 ***Important note for those of you complaining about getting to the combat: I will update the first chapter of the story with a note like this telling you which chapter the fighting starts in when I get to that.**

 **Read through everything I've written up to this point for this chapter. Corrected some syntax issues that inevitably slipped through along with taking note of everything I think I need to address. The coming chapters are devoted to tying everything together in a meaningful manner for the characters.**

 **The vessel mentioned in a short bit is a Star Charter-class colony ship, such as the one seen on the UEG colony of Meridian in Halo 5.**

 **Had a lot going on when I was writing the first part of this, so it ended up getting done about 100 to 250 words at a time. Hopefully quality didn't suffer. If you do see any issues with it, please feel free to let me know through PM or whatever other way you'd like. In fact, please let me know, it is really appreciated!**

 **Also worthy of note, today is the one year anniversary for publishing this story. Here's to another year of chapters!**

 **Now for Review Responses! If you don't care, skip to the breakpoint below. For responses, later reviews will be listed first, because I'm lazy and can't be bothered to reverse-order them. To those I do not explicitly mention, thank you for reviewing!**

 **Since I have seen this mentioned several times: Master Chief is already written into upcoming chapters.**

 **Me Myself and I: You know, I'd love to agree with you that Citadel ships also use visual cloaking, yet there's multiple points in the ME series where the Normandy, the "most advanced" stealth ship, is stealthed but not cloaked. I don't know why it was overlooked, but it was and it irritates me greatly.**

 **Kaioo: Yep, there's a reason I devoted a chapter to them.**

 **Machcia: Thank you, I try to keep it interesting but know that I go off into randomness sometimes.**

 **Fernix13: Yep, FanFiction likes to slaughter formatting. It's why the Assembly symbols are so derped up. Interesting mathematics on the population thing, will have to look into it. Thank you on the pointer there.**

 **Rook115: I have noticed that as well and plan to address it.**

 **ConcreteCamel: would love to speed up releases, but as the late release today might indicate, there is an issue with that. Actually have considered pausing updates until I get more free time, but really want to avoid that.**

 **Ramos: Another reason that a Genophage for Halo species would not work is our ability to mathematically model the spread of pathogens, see patterns in that, and counteract them. Based on recent progress in this area, along with advances in Qubits, we could model a biological attack like that within minutes of locating it.**

 **Zenbeast38: Stop predicting my chapter! :)**

 **theIrishWriter: I'd agree except that the Council didn't even seem to possess a sense of survival after nearly being killed in ME1.**

 **Seems like I'm going to make a habit of almost missing updates. Such is life I guess, apologies for it.**

* * *

 **10 Day of 4 Month, 2459/May 10, 2589/May 10, 2180**

 **Systems Alliance Alert Perimeter**

 **Uninhabited System**

Gathering the delegation that would be travelling into old Human territory was a challenge in and of itself. Security needed to be maintained for every single representative while also allowing them to communicate with their fellows. That this was all happening on the outskirts of Systems Alliance space presented another issue with the small raiding groups that were starting to appear.

Shepard didn't begrudge the organizers their work, however, as she had done plenty of the same on several missions over the years. While it was certainly much simpler than this mess, it was the same general concept. Protect the important people, try not to alarm whoever they were seeing too much.

At the very least, the large presence of Citadel ships would help give a show of force to any two-bit idiot that might attempt to attack the gathered delegation. Part of the reason the Council had begun to recall their Exploration fleets was probably to try and show off their forces to the Wardens, but Shepard knew fully well that that was a hopeless effort.

There was simply nothing the Council had that could compare to the massive Covenant vessels. After seeing the CAS carriers at the Citadel, Jane had assumed that the leaders of the galactic community would know this. Instead, they were hoping to make up for that with numbers. To anyone with knowledge of the situation that had led to the creation of the Systems Alliance, it was obviously a lost cause.

Instead, most of the focus of the Alliance in choosing their delegation had been directed to personel that could evaluate the relation between the Wardens and Unified Earth Government. Considering the reports from the UNSC about the casualties during the war, the concept of creating a single body with the old Enemy had seemed ludicrous.

To Shepard, that seemed rather ironic considering that the Alliance had joined with the Citadel.

Of course, she wasn't paid for her opinion, nor did Shepard believe she understood the full situation. While the Citadel Council may have not been attempting to kill them, the ease which the Alliance had folded to its demands seemed preposterous after the conflict with the Covenant. After asking her mother about it, Shepard had only received the ever-frustrating response that the information was classified. As much as she wanted to press it, Jane knew from the tone of the reply that that idea was not prudent.

Thus, Shepard was left watching the preparations with little idea of how the Systems Alliance would be dealing with their counterparts in the Unified Earth Government. Of course, a mission briefing had been held for the Alliance party, but they had only discussed interactions with the UEG when other Citadel species were present. It was possible that the implication was for no one to discuss the respective situations of the two Human governments with each other, though Shepard wasn't confident in that particular assumption.

Her job on this mission was to protect the Alliance delegation and talk about the integration of Citadel species into the Alliance military. While she would love to assume that the task would require no political prowess, Shepard knew that the other species accompanying them would make that impossible. In that regard, the mission briefing had helped.

Any further discussions were to be held on the UNSC ship, which was expected in system at any point in the next few minutes. The entire Citadel delegation was already gathered in the room behind Shepard, mostly talking amongst themselves as they waited. Jane was tempted to turn around to watch Liara suffer the politicians beside Benezia, but the possibility of missing the arrival of the UNSC vessel was too high.

Many others in the delegation were also watching, though the politicians seemed to be more focused on preparing for an important meeting. Considering the attitude of the Citadel towards the UEG and Wardens in general, Shepard didn't believe it to be likely that any notable information would be exchanged once the diplomatic party boarded the human transport.

Whether that prediction was correct would be found out quickly, however, as the Commander noticed the telltale signs of a slipspace portal forming out in the void of space. As usual, the aperture only stayed open long enough to eject a ship before closing once more, leaving an oddly aesthetic craft hanging on the outer edge of the perimeter established by the Citadel species.

From the database of UNSC ships that had been provided to Shepard for First Contact, she recognized it as some class of civilian colony ship, though she did not have the name memorized. The outer hull had a silvery sheen, making it obvious to anyone familiar with human ships that it was not the usual Titanium-A used in UNSC ships. Of course, this made sense considering that such material was used in warships, not simple transports.

The implications of that were clear to Shepard as she analyzed the situation with a military mindset. Instead of sending a combat vessel to impress or intimidate the Citadel delegation while transporting them, the UEG had elected to send an unarmed ship.

In a political sense, it would convey a desire for peace along with the capability for social interaction. Appeal to the civilian population as a species that preferred exploration over combat. As someone who had severed for years, however, Shepard also realized the precautionary measure that the UNSC was using with such a ship. It was an old colony vessel, nothing particularly noteworthy or valuable.

If the Citadel delegation turned hostile for whatever reason, such as taking control of the vessel, the UNSC would have no issue destroying it. There were no weapons on board to threaten other vessels, and while ramming other ships might do some damage, it simply wasn't a viable strategy to do anything significant. Any technology that might be seen would be useless since this particular class was designed in the early 2400's and was probably outdated even then.

As Shepard looked back at the beings that would be going on the trip, she dismissed the idea that any of them would try something so blatantly. Subtle tactics for the Salarians, perhaps, and maybe attempts to acquire concessions by the Asari, but nothing outright hostile. The only species that might try something like that would be the Turians, but they had only sent a small force of soldiers to represent them rather than any diplomatic team.

With the UEG ship quickly approaching through the cordon of vessels, there was little time for any other considerations as the group began organizing itself. Circles that had formed while the delegation waited broke up as each Citadel species made ready to board the human transport.

Since the airlock on the approaching vessel would be incompatible with that of the Citadel ship, an adapter had been rigged to specifications given by the UNSC. The quality of that construction was proven as the foreign transport pulled up alongside the Citadel ship and connected to the frame of the modified passage.

Everything from there went by in a flash for Shepard as the assembled party made their way onto the colony ship. There was little in the way of greetings with the crew, as the only person they had seen was a single human in civilian clothes who led them to their quarters. Apparently there were few restrictions on where they were allowed to explore, which made sense since most of the ship would be cryo chambers or cargo bays.

Shortly after they boarded, an announcement sounded out about entering slipspace. As far as Shepard could tell, nothing changed, though a slight shudder rumbled through the deck. While she had been told that slipspace was a featureless landscape to human eyes, Jane couldn't help but glance out a viewport to confirm that knowledge.

Aside from that, there was little of note onboard the ship. Shepard spent several shifts with the diplomats, though nothing interesting happened, unsurprisingly. Exploring quickly became boring as room after room of empty space greeted her. Liara met up with her several times over the voyage but spent most of her time playing diplomat with the other Asari due to her mother's position.

Luckily, it only took several days to reach their destination. While this was concerning due to the speed it implied, there was little anyone in the delegation could do about predicting just how fast the UEG's FTL was. Since they didn't know the location of Warden space, let alone their specific destination within it, calculating their velocity was impossible.

Due to the curiosity of everyone from the Citadel, Shepard wasn't surprised to find the Observation Deck quite crowded when she arrived. After hearing the announcement that they would be exiting Slipspace shortly, the obvious place to go would be here. While Jane had found it earlier, she had quickly left after gazing out into the featureless abyss of the Slipstream for a few minutes.

That sentiment seemed to be shared by the rest of the delegation as they dutifully turned away from the disturbingly blank view. This was noted by Shepard as she glanced around the room, though she didn't make to move any farther into the mass of diplomats. As with every other soldier there, the Commander stayed on the edge of the gathering as they waited, content to stay away from the political dealings.

Looking around, it was simple enough for her to spot Liara talking with several Salarian scientists in one corner, all of them obviously eagerly awaiting their exit. Several other Asari were gathered behind Ambassador Benezia as she and the other diplomats talked with a crew members that had gotten stuck with the post of tourist guide. From the way the guy moved it was easy to tell he was nervous, though Shepard found it suspicious that the UEG would send an untrained individual to treat with such an important political delegation.

If he was part of an intelligence branch or some such thing, there wasn't much Shepard could do about it. So far nothing had been remotely threatening to the safety of the VIPs, so worrying about it now would be rather pointless.

Any other thoughts were usurped as the window of the Observation Deck flashed, letting everyone know that something was happening. In what seemed to be a coordinated movement, every person turned to watch as light once again appeared outside the ship.

Even with her battle experience, Shepard had to admit relief at once again seeing stars instead of the blank canvas of slipspace. Of course, going into cryosleep would spare the citizens of the UEG from dealing with the view, but how ship crews dealt with it was beyond her. In FTL travel she could see the streaks of light being warped by the Mass Effect field, but this slipspace method most certainly disagreed with her sense of reality.

Once the Commander had sufficiently taken in the sight of four-dimensional space, she took a moment to realize what wasn't present outside. There were no ships, no stations, no fleet of defensive ships, and most notably, no planet.

Instead, they seemed to be drifting in the interplanetary medium, at least that's what Shepard assumed. If they were out in the interstellar medium then it would be several years before they even arrived in a solar system, let alone at Earth.

Apparently this thought was anticipated as a voice came through the intercom and announced, "We will be approaching Earth at sublight speeds. Due to the high volume of traffic in system, this process will take a significant amount of time. Expect several hours of delay before we are cleared to land."

"We are not above your homeworld to land. Problem in communications?" Shepard heard one of the Salarians ask the only crew member in the room. Seeing a chance to learn some valuable information, the Commander moved from her position and made her way around the edge of the room as she continued to listen in to the conversation.

"This is a civilian ship. As with all such arrivals, we exited the slipstream at an Interstellar Jump Point, in this case the Inferior Sol System IJP. There are very few ships that are granted permission to exit elsewhere in system," the guy explained.

This didn't seem to appease the Salarian's curiosity as he pressed, "Why these Jump Points?"

From the reaction of the crew member, it seemed to Shepard that this was something he was knowledgeable in as he quickly replied, "Think of it like the Mass Relays you guys use. Slipspace jumps aren't very precise, so there's drift when we exit the slipstream. Since gravity wells tend to worsen the effect, specific points are easier to get to than others. By having assigned jump points, traffic can be regulated and collisions with celestial bodies avoided."

"What's preventing hijackers from using a ship as a weapon?" a Turian soldier interjected, getting a few interested glances from those listening in at the suggestion.

"Uhm, safeguards on the navigation system mostly. If those are bypassed, then accuracy becomes a major issue. Exiting slipspace inside a planet wouldn't do them much good, nor would exiting above the ODP grid. There's a small chance they could get through to the surface, but without navigation it's so small that it's deemed an acceptable risk."

The Turian pointed out the obvious flaw in that, "You said that a few ships could exit near your homeworld, though. What if one of those was stolen?"

Shepard noted the wince that crossed the face of the crew member at that thought before he replied, "If they managed to take control of a ship capable of pin-point slips, then they could do a lot more damage with it intact."

"What's preventing that then?"

"Mostly the fact that whoever was suicidal enough to attack a UNSC ship full of marines, ODSTs, and Spartans would never be intelligent enough to succeed," the crewman answered.

This seemed to amuse the Turian as he commented, "Pretty confident in that defense. What if someone hacked the ship?"

A slight bit of confusion appeared in the expression and voice of the speaker as he countered, "You can't just 'hack' a ship. Create a security breach at a specific place, sure. Maybe infect a few systems, if you're lucky, but not outright break in. Even then, taking control away from the helm would be nearly impossible."

"Why?" Benezia interrupted, drawing the attention of the crew member back to herself.

"A ship is an isolated environment. All they need to do to stop an attack from the outside is cut off communications," the guide explained.

One of the Salarians spoke next as he mentioned, "Our vessels have similar capabilities, yet vulnerabilities still exist. Acknowledging the same for your own craft would be logical."

"Well, yeah, holes exist, but they aren't obvious nor easy to use. Problems in essential systems take years to find for those who know the setup. It'd be a lot simpler to attack from inside rather than trying to break through the defenses. We know that they are there as every system has vulnerabilities, that's just how it works."

This interested the Turian that had spoken before as he stated, "You seemed to know a lot about this subject for a sailor."

A shrug was the crewman's response as he explained, "We're all required to take a course on ship security. Part of that is learning how to be careful around the electronic equipment to prevent tampering. This is a colony ship, after all."

Shepard suppressed any outward reaction at the implications of that statement. She hadn't even considered the fact that the UEG would send a colony ship because it was specifically built to prevent tampering by upset colonists. Whether it was an insult or just a precaution to make sure that the curious didn't hurt themselves, she wasn't sure.

"You're willing to share that information with us?" Ambassador Benezia asked with a hint of surprise.

Another shrug precluded his response, "It's not particularly helpful or secret information. This stuff has been known for hundreds of years, and you knowing it doesn't present a threat to this ship or the crew. There's no special tool or program that allows access into any system at the touch of a button that you can have on your wrist or whatever. Or at all, really."

"If you know of issues, why not fix them?" a Volus asked, getting a few looks but otherwise going ignored by the Citadel species.

This was not the case for the crew member as he looked at the short creature and replied, "Predicting every possible attack, from every possible place, at every possible point, that could happen at any time is practically impossible. Even with experience and skill, we're still human. Mistakes are made, and creative individuals can get in. That's why we have computer forensics and breach remediation and all that stuff. What that entails I don't know, but if there's an issue that's who I'm supposed to contact."

"This is a UEG ship, correct?" the same Turian inquired.

"Yeah. Colonial Administration, technically, but whatever."

At that confirmation, the Turian continued, "What about private ships not owned by the government?"

"You mean what about their security?" the guide asked for clarification. When he got a nod of agreement, he continued, "It varies from company to company and among individuals, obviously, but it's not a large concern."

Benezia asked the obvious question, "Why not?"

"After the Interplanetary War, a lot of network infrastructure was destroyed. Cyber warfare had been a big thing back then since the alternative of sending a ship across the space between planets would take years. To combat that, sympathizers bombed server farms and communication stations. With the war over, though, the UEG saw how much of an issue it could be in the future," the guide began, obviously feeling comfortable with relating commonly known history.

No one interrupted as he continued, "Originally, the Internet was built without security in mind. This led to issues in the 21st century with breaches and all sorts of nasty stuff. When the UEG rebuilt from the Interplanetary War in the 22nd century, they created Waypoint, Extra Planetary Wide Web, and all those associated systems for ease of communication. This time, though, security features were built in, ending many of the massive issues that had plagued the Internet."

"It is due to that focus on security that allows us to be confident in keeping ships out of the wrong hands. Sure, some issues exist, but they are much less serious and much easier to cover with the framework we have now. The main avenue of attack in modern hijacking is taking direct physical control of a ship to use it. That was a large problem during the Insurrection, which is part of what allowed the Systems Alliance to use so many vessels," the crewman finished with a nod to Shepard.

The gathering that had formed as the UEG citizen spoke turned its attention to another Turian soldier that had joined them as he asked, "This is no longer a problem then?"

"No, not particularly," the guide responded. "Hijackings occur in the Outer Colonies every once in a while, but that's to steal supplies meant for the reconstruction. After the Colonies forced the UEG to accept proposals for fair representation there hasn't been any serious call to action from separatists, insurrectionists, or rebels. Here and there some dissent has popped up, but nothing that's gone anywhere."

Since Benezia was the primary diplomat of the delegation, it came as no surprise to anyone when she questioned, "What do the people of the UEG think of the Wardens of the Mantle?"

A small sigh escaped the guide before he answered, "That's a big source of contention amongst people right now. It has public support for the general idea, but there are those who believe that we should take a role as leaders of the alliance. If you want to hear more detail about that, your questions about security, or anything else you're curious about, I'm sure that the official chaperone will be able to help out."

"As for now, I must take off and attend to my regular post for the approach. It will be a bit of time still, but you should be able to start seeing some traffic as we get further in system. No planets, unluckily, but there will be cargo transports and other such craft heading to the IJP. You'll be met on the landing pad by some UEG personnel, though I don't know what the plans are from there. Good day, Ambassadors," the crew member said, nodding to the assembled group before making his way out of the room.

Most of those present seemed surprised at the abrupt exit but said nothing about it. With the warning that they would be landing soon, many of those in the room began making their way to their quarters to gather their belongings and prepare for the inevitable formal events on the surface. Shepard was fairly sure that they would return to the Observation Deck once ready to be able to see Earth themselves, along with the fleets and other defenses guarding it.

That was the Commander's plan as well, but since there were still several hours to kill, she headed back to her cabin. Due to the constant location reassignments throughout her career, Shepard had no problem in packing the few items she had brought along. After that, she took the opportunity for a quick nap in anticipation that there would be little opportunity for rest once they had landed. If the UEG was anything like the Citadel, then some political gathering of officials would be held at a formal dinner, which was oddly exhausting considering Shepard's role was usually relegated to standing off to the side.

* * *

Even at a great distance it was easy to tell that the planet in front of them was heavily populated. Part of that were the small specks, barely visible to the naked eye, that made their way across the void. How large the actual ships were was something that Shepard could only guess at, but judging by the fact that they were visible at all, they weren't small.

What really gave away the status of the world, however, was the dense latticework of lights that made their way across the surface. While the colony ship transporting the Citadel delegation was still too far away for Shepard's eyes to pick out the continents, it was possible for her to get a general sense of just how developed Earth really was.

Even though the Commander knew that it might be slightly unfair, she couldn't help but compare the sight to that of the Systems Alliance world. For all the attempts to make it seem like the Human homeworld, by both name and by the spread of human cities on the surface, it still didn't come close to the real thing.

From talking to the crew members as well as reading some colonization records, Shepard knew that Earth wasn't the only celestial body with a significant population either. Specifics were rather lacking from the information she had and could get out of people, but by the sound of it there were multiple colonies in the Sol System alone.

As the ship began to drop into high orbit of Earth, that information was confirmed by the presence of significant development on the surface of the nearby moon. Due to their position to the side of the celestial body, Shepard could see hints of light from what had to be habitats on the surface. Above the body were stations of some sort, though it was anyone's guess as to their purpose.

Turning her attention down to the approaching planet, Shepard began to get an idea of the orbital infrastructure that she had seen from further out. Unlike Terra for the Systems Alliance, the UEG had made absolutely no effort to limit the number of constructions above their homeworld.

Of course, the Systems Alliance had that policy in place so as to prevent Element Zero accidents from affecting the last stronghold of Humanity. Thus, construction facilities were built elsewhere in the system, giving them a bonus in security as well since an enemy would have to divide to hit both Terra as well as the shipyards.

Looking at the defenses present here, however, there was little doubt in Shepard's mind that the UNSC took a significantly different approach. Getting an idea of the size of the defense fleet was difficult due to the civilian vessel as well as the vast nature of space, but even from the single window of the Observation Deck multiple warships were visible. From what she knew, the Commander could identify a couple of old Paris-class frigates as well as a Halcyon cruiser, but that was it.

The vast majority of ships were of newer classes, ones that the Systems Alliance did not have information on. That made sense to Shepard, seeing as the destruction of the War against the Enemy would have necessitated new ships with the improvements derived during the course of the conflict.

What really grabbed her attention were the orbital defense platforms mounting what looked to be massive cannons. At least that's what Shepard assumed the towers protruding from each platform were, as she didn't have any ideas as to what else they would be. Only two of the defensive platforms could be seen as the colony ship descended, but it didn't take a genius to know that many more would be positioned around the rest of the planet.

Shepard watched out of the corner of her eye as the other members of the delegation took in the orbital platforms. Several private human colonies in the Citadel galaxy had orbital battle stations, but nothing on this scale.

A slight intake of breath brought the attention of several beings to Ambassador Benezia. Rather than speak out loud, the Asari Matriarch simply nodded towards the bottom of the window. Any adjustment by the group was halted as the ship began to rotate, leaving the delegation gazing straight towards the surface.

Or at least they would have been, had a massive construction facility not been blocking the view. A mess of cranes, walkways, and equipment covered the scaffolding, but it was what sat at the center that really drew attention.

While it was impossible to guess at the size of the vessel due to the lack of comparable objects nearby, there was little doubt that the ship had to be massive. Ten other vessels sat to the side of the larger one, each at varying stages of completion. Judging by the design, Shepard guessed that they were frigates, but the implications of that assumption were rather pressing.

If the small ships were frigates of a comparable size to the Paris-class, then the vessel beside them would be more than five kilometers long. While impressive, that also allowed the Commander to get an idea of the size of the platform itself since the current project didn't take up even half of the available space.

Shepard huffed slightly at that, recognizing the tactic as a form of shock and awe. Shipyards of that size were unheard of, even for the Systems Alliance. That the transport had just happened to fly above such a valuable asset meant that they had had clearance to do so.

Making a mental note to ask about the platform when she got the chance, Shepard turned her gaze to the planet below as it became visible one more. Even though they were on the daytime side, it was possible to pick out development, at least in a general sense. Currently they were above Europe and making their way South, relative to the axis of the planet.

Going by her knowledge of Earth, Shepard predicted that their flight path would take them over Africa, though their descent angle was far too shallow to land on that continent. If anything, they'd be in low orbit by then, perhaps in an attempt to drop through the atmosphere slowly and bring them in to land in Australia or South America. The Commander doubted that the UEG would land an important diplomatic party on the ice of Antarctica, though she could be wrong.

An answer to that question appeared as the transport sank lower towards the surface. At first, all that could be seen was a small line on the horizon, easily dismissed as glare or something like that. This was proved incorrect as the very thin line became significantly less thin as they approached, leaving Shepard unsure of what exactly was before them. As they drew closer, others began to notice the same strand and point it out, allowing the Commander to dismiss the notion that it was an illusion.

It was still a couple minutes before enough details became clear for the actual purpose of the object to be deduced, yet even then Shepard could believe that it was possible. In front of the Citadel delegation, stretched above the planet with deceptive ease, were the strands of an operational orbital elevator.

Shepard could tell it was operational due to the presence of a platform flying up into orbit. A glance down the strand leading to the surface was all the Commander needed to know that riding something like it would be sickening. Unlike looking down from orbit with nothing below, the presence of the elevator allowed Shepard a sense of scale as it faded into the atmosphere.

While she couldn't do the exact mental math, some rough predictions based on geostationary orbit put the length of something like this at several tens of thousands of kilometers. From their position, this specific tether would lead down to the top of Africa and likely into a city, though Shepard had no idea what one specifically.

Feeling rather numbed from the size of UEG constructions, Shepard looked past the elevator, out into the ocean beyond. Several clouds were present, but otherwise it was remarkably clear weather on the surface. A quick glance to the horizon revealed that it would not stay that way, a fact given away by the sheet of white slowly moving over the surface of the ocean below. The Commander blinked to get rid of the idle thoughts, recognizing them as an attempt to distract herself from what she was seeing.

Knowing that Alliance Command would be interest in her report on Humanity's true Homeworld when she returned, Shepard once again took to examining the surface below. With the transport coasting in low orbit, it was easy to see the geographical regions of the planet. Light tan of a desert gave way to the green of plains, with the dark green of forest and blue ocean creating easy outlines to each side.

After a short time, an anomaly on the horizon caught the Commander's eye. As she focused on it, Shepard noted that the grassland had turned back into desert, or at least sparsely vegetated area. Apparently terraforming Earth had been possible, at least assuming that the Arbiter had been telling the truth when he said that the Covenant reached the planet. That there was no sign of glassing so far was a significant indication of the UEG's capabilities with rehabilitating from an assault.

Filing that away for later, Shepard examined the surface in anticipation of getting a clear view of whatever had caught her eye. It didn't take long for the object to become visible, and as much as Shepard wanted to be surprised that it was something insane, she wasn't.

For all their blindness to the significance of what was in front of them, even the diplomats in the Citadel delegation could not ignore the massive piece of architecture below. Circular in shape and easily visible from orbit, the thing disrupted the landscape in an abrupt and disjointed way. There was no warning of its existence, the ground simply went from natural to metal instantly, leaving a perfectly circular hole for the object.

Caught staring at the circle of metal as she was, Shepard almost missed the orbital tether rising up into the void from the ground. It quickly became clear that that was their destination as the transport began to slow down.

Once they'd drawn closer, the Commander could see that there was a station positioned on the side of the tether. Obviously it wasn't the end of the strand, but it did allow the logical deduction that each tether could have multiple docking points rather than the single one out in High Orbit.

A simple examination showed that the docking station wasn't anything impressive, merely some cargo bays, hallways, and anchoring positions for smaller vessels. Whether that indicated that even the UEG's smaller vessels could not enter atmosphere or not, Shepard didn't know. At this point she knew that she desperately needed to shift her point of view away from what was regular in the Alliance and to a more open perspective.

There was almost complete silence as the Citadel delegation left their impromptu taxi. A single person greeted them on the station, though the woman merely guided them to an open elevator before leaving them. From her uniform as well as blatant stare, Shepard gathered that she was part of the station crew and unlikely to be trained to deal with diplomatic events.

Normally, the ride down the orbital tether would have been rather unpleasant for Shepard, even with Liara there beside her. At this point, however, all the Commander felt was numb as the platform began to descend. Much to the credit of the UEG, though, the fall was almost imperceptible. Even as Shepard saw the rings of the strand flash by with increasing frequency, there was no perceptible change in the feeling of the lift.

Considering that the were descending from however many hundreds of kilometers up, the lack of any change in gravity was impressive. Glancing outside, Shepard noticed that tongues of fire were flashing outside the windows of the platform.

It only took several minutes to breach the upper layers of the atmosphere, though any view that they might of had of the city was obscured by the growing darkness of night combined with cloud cover moving in above the city. Of course, most of the attention was instead directed towards the anomaly sitting to the West of them as everyone tried to figure out its purpose.

Shepard knew that guessing was useless, however, as there was nothing in Citadel space that compared to the structure. Instead, she simply watched the city below. Small dots became clear as they approached, allowing Shepard to deduce that they were the tops of buildings breaking through the clouds.

At a hunch, the Commander began to analyze the city layout with a tactical mind as best she could from what was visible. Almost instantly the compartmentalization became apparent, with each section grouping of towers clearly divided. From that as well as the presence of the orbital elevator, it was easy to deduce that cities with the massive tethers were natural hubs of activity, both for trade as well as transit.

More than that, however, Shepard recognized the design as an attempt to minimize damage. It didn't take long for her to figure out that it wasn't to prevent an enemy attack or crowd control but rather defend against structural failing of the tether itself. Each area was divided on a radial axis out from the base of the tether, meaning that no two areas could both be destroyed if there was a critical failure somehow.

Of course, if the elevator did fall, then its length would allow it to wrap itself around the entire planet, but Jane recognized that there was little that could be done to prevent that.

Taking her attention away from the tether, the Commander began to examine the edge of the city. Since they were closer to the ground, it was slightly difficult to see the edge of the circular hole through the thickening mists, but it was still possible for Shepard to get an idea of how the city dealt with whatever the thing was. From what she saw, it looked like the object interrupted the edge of the city, with buildings simply ceasing along its outer edge.

That implied that the structure hadn't originally been planned, which wasn't exactly hard to guess since such perfectly shaped objects didn't tend to stay so well defined in a city. Apparently the UEG had been unwilling to build over it as well, which meant that it had some sort of purpose. Shepard only hoped that it wasn't a landing pad, as any ship that needed that much space would be death to morale in a fight.

Any concern Shepard had about that would be for later, however, as the platform began to slow. This was noticed by the rest of the Citadel delegation, leading them to begin organizing to meet their counterparts on the ground.

Taking her own position at the side of the Systems Alliance Ambassador, the Commander had an easy view of the outside as the massive door to the lift opened. Instead of a large diplomatic party or group of dignitaries as seemed to be expected, they were met by a single serviceman.

Unlike the crew of the ship or tether station, however, this was an actual soldier. Shepard immediately noticed the rifle slung across his back as well as a pistol on his hip. Various pieces of armor were present, along with various pouches and other miscellaneous items. After a second of searching, the Commander picked out the handle of a knife hidden on the guy's waist.

Before any questions could be asked, the soldier turned and began walking away, obviously expecting the diplomats to follow. That expectation was met, though several curious mutters were passed around.

The reason for the odd arrival quickly became apparent as the wide hallway suddenly dropped them onto the floor of a large concourse. While not nearly as large as the Citadel Presidium, the amount of activity compressed into the space easily made up for that. Hundreds of people were present in a seething crowd that seemed to flow in a chaotic sea, but even with each person trying to reach their destination there seemed to be no issues with collisions or other such interruptions.

Luckily, the Citadel delegation wouldn't have to wander into the crowd as the soldier leading them turned to the side. Multiple guards were standing out from the wall, keeping the area clear of any wandering citizens. Their postures were alert, but there weren't there for show as they actively scanned the crowd rather than making any attempt to appear formal for the Citadel's party.

Shepard noted this behavior, as was her job. Since the soldiers still had their weapons holstered, it was obvious that they didn't expect an immediate threat, but that contradicted their actions. If the UEG was so concerned about xenophobia in their own population that they felt the need to post armed guards for a diplomatic party, then the delegation's own security would have quite the time with that.

Of course, it had been known before they came that security would be an issue, but it had been possible that members of the delegation would have the chance to interact with the populace. Getting information out of civilians with no training on what was valuable or not was much easier, especially considering the limitations the Wardens had put in place to control that information on their end. If there was a threat to delegates, however, then it was the Commander's job to make sure that they couldn't get at their targets.

A job which would be much easier if the diplomats kept out of public situations as much as possible.

Discussion about that would have to wait until their accommodations were determined. For the moment, Shepard and the rest of the Citadel delegation guards kept to the same routine they had maintained for the trip here, which basically consisted of dealing with whatever happened as it came. Predicting anything about an entity as unknown as the UEG, and really all the Wardens, was a hopeless task.

This was proved true once again as the delegation was led through the hallway to yet another open space. From the stores and other such commercial venues, it was obviously some sort of shopping center for people waiting for or coming from the tether. Unlike the previous area, where they had been mostly ignored due to distance as well as the slightly panicked nature of people trying to get on their flights, the Citadel delegation received a great number of stares.

At first it was only a few, but others joined as foot traffic began to slow. The soldiers of each Citadel species noticed this, though none took action as they continued without interruption. After they had left, the Commander could hear activity starting up once again.

From there the delegation emerged into the open air. For the first time, they had the opportunity to see the land around them from the ground. The differences between Earth and the Systems Alliance homeworld could not have been more clear to Shepard as she took in her surroundings.

For all that could be seen from the trip down the orbital tether behind them, it did not give a particularly good scale of the size of the city below. With their position on the ground, it was possible for the delegation to see buildings that stretched up into the sky before fading into the clouds above.

Although impressive, it was also obvious that many of the structures were engulfed by mist before their height could be gauged. The encroaching darkness prevented any of those in the delegation from being able to tell how far out the city extended, be it towards the circle of metal or up into the air.

On that thought, Shepard turned around and looked up into the sky, following the tether as it ascended. Other members of the delegation noticed that and turned away from the city as well, though some of them merely glanced back. Shepard understood the action as she quickly lost sight of the elevator as it went up into the night sky. The thought of relying on such a connection to hoist them back up into space was less than calming.

There was little time to consider that, however, as a convoy of vehicles came rolling to a stop before the delegation. To Shepard and the others who had been in Alliance cities, this was no surprise. Personal flying transports had been introduced but were banned in heavily populated areas due to safety concerns, thus the used of wheeled vehicles on streets.

Most present had not had that experience, however, leaving them quite confused. So far, the UEG had demonstrated impressive capabilities in the structural engineering of their ships and buildings. To see such a primitive mode of transport was offsetting as even the most remote Citadel planets had skycars.

Either way, there wasn't much of a choice at the current moment, leading the delegation to split into groups. As they did this, Shepard noted that each little cliche was formed from individual species rather than split along the lines of diplomats or soldiers. Alongside each group was at least one Turian soldier, though there were a couple in the smaller groups such as the Volus and Hanar.

Shepard dutifully followed the Systems Alliance representative to their own vehicle. After opening the door and quickly scanning the inside, the Commander stepped aside and let the diplomat go first before following herself. Some nice decorations were placed on the inside, but nothing particularly notable or important to Shepard.

The trip to the city was fairly quick from there as the convoy pulled out onto the massive road leading away from the orbital tether. While it was slightly odd to not be able to see the driver of the vehicle, it was hardly an issue as far as security was concerned. If there was an issue on that front, then there was nothing that could be done at the moment.

Luckily, the convoy arrived at their destination promptly, allowing Shepard and the rest of the Citadel delegation a view of the massive building they had stopped at. From the line of soldiers keeping any civilians back, it was clear that this would be the place they would stay for the night at least.

This proved correct as they were led inside by a woman dressed in a formal suit. Shepard noted to herself that this was the first person they had seen who actually looked like they were qualified to discuss something with the Citadel delegation. As to what that would be, however, was still up in the air.

Apparently the answers to some of their questions were coming immediately as the group was led into a large room with a lectern at the front. Once all of them had arrived, the woman that had been leading them took her place up front. This gained everyone's attention quickly, allowing silence to fall in the group as she began to speak.

"On behalf of the Wardens of the Mantle I welcome you to the Milky Way, and on behalf of the United Earth Government I welcome you to Earth. It seems like your trip went well, but we understand that such travel can be rather exhausting. Due to this, any diplomatic events have been put off until you have had the chance to rest," the woman began.

No one spoke up as she continued, "I will be coordinating travel plans as well as events for you while you are here on Earth. If there is anywhere specific you wish to go, you need merely ask. As for plans, guides will be available to show those interested around the city tomorrow. The day after that, we will be heading to Sydney to meet with officials from the UEG. Nothing more is planned from there as we will try our best to help you connect with what interests you rather than some preset tour. If you have any outstanding questions, I will answer them as best I can."

Ambassador Benezia spoke up first as she asked, "Why did we not land there to begin with? We could rest there just as well as here."

"Well, yes, but the arrival time of your ship made it easier for you to get off at the New Mombasa Tether. If you'd landed at Sydney, it would've been early in the morning. It is a lot easier to adjust your sleeping cycle if you go to bed when it becomes night rather than sleeping through the morning," the woman replied.

Silence was all that greeted that explanation. That such a detail had been addressed was odd to the Citadel delegation. For them, it had always been a matter of catering to the timetables of the Council, regardless of when they arrived. To be given some time to adjust was different.

Benezia eventually responded, "Understood. Thank you."

"Of course. Any other questions?"

"What is the structure outside the city?" At that question, the attention of the room turned to Liara. From the expressions she could see, Shepard could tell that the diplomats thought the question too forward while the soldiers such as herself appreciated the blunt curiosity.

Apparently the UEG speaker had no issues with it either as she answered, "It's formal name is the Excession, though most people simply call it the Portal at Voi or the Artifact. Covenant ships uncovered it during the attack on Earth at the end of the War. If you want to see it active, there's a scheduled opening tomorrow. We would've warned you about it in the morning, as it can be somewhat startling if you don't expect it."

Liara easily caught onto the important tidbit of information there as she asked, "The Covenant uncovered it? So it wasn't built by humans?"

"No, it was not. The Forerunners built it here as a way to get to the Ark. Why they did so here on Earth is either unknown or classified. Not sure which."

"The Ark?" Liara pressed.

A quick glance around the room assured the woman that she wasn't boring anyone as she responded, "A Forerunner station out in space. The only way to get to it is the Portal, as its exact location is unknown, or at least not practically reachable."

"Considering the information shared with the Citadel before we came here, I'm surprised you can talk about it at all," one of the Turian soldiers said.

Shepard stared at him as she tried to figure out why he seemed familiar, but couldn't solve the mystery before the speaker answered, "I don't know anything more than what the rest of the public knows. Nothing I'm telling you is secret. It's not like we could hide the Portal anyways. As for the lack of information, that's protocol. Access to UEG networks has always been limited."

"Why?" a salarian asked quickly.

The sudden question seemed to surprise the speaker, but she quickly found the curious delegation member and explained, "Partly information overload, but mostly compatibility. We haven't encountered any species that had networks that could process our data. Data crystal chips allow proximity transfers but not anywhere close to the scale needed for interstellar communications."

"Interesting. Possible to learn more on subject?" the Salarian inquired.

"Of course, but that will have to wait as I am no expert on the subject. We can certainly look into scheduling those interested for a visit to a university or industrial facility that deals with that field. The same can be done for anything else anyone would like to know more about," the speaker said.

It took a few seconds before someone else asked, "Will we be allowed to explore your city ourselves?"

Shepard was slightly amused by the blunt inquiry but couldn't deny curiosity as to the answer.

"You are guests of the UEG and Wardens of the Mantle. As much as I wish that you could wander freely and without concern, there are those who are less than welcoming to your presence. If you do decide to explore without a guide or protection, that is your decision, but we recommend against it," came the reply.

That didn't seem to sit well with the delegation, though no one argued against it outright. They all knew of Humanity's war with the Covenant, and from that it wasn't hard to deduce that some members of society would simply not cooperate with other sentient beings. After all, the same was true with the Citadel and Terminus Systems.

When no one else said anything for a short bit, the woman ended the meeting, "Rooms have been reserved for all individuals. If there is anything that you need, instructions for using the various features have been provided in your native languages. Good night, and I will see you all tomorrow before we set off for Sydney."

With that, the woman made her way out of the room as the beings that made up the delegation began to socialize. Now that everyone was safely inside the building, Shepard's own shift was finished as well. While not exhausted from the travel, Shepard had no issues with catching some extra sleep, especially when the alternative was engaging in political discussion. Her decision made, the Commander quietly slipped out of the room.

A few questions later and she had directions to her room. Apparently every person in the delegation had designated rooms, as Shepard's bags were already sitting just inside the doorway.

After doing her nightly routine, Shepard took a moment to look out at the view presented by the window in the room. Late as it was, there was still traffic on the streets. Looking out at the buildings, the Commander finally allowed herself to compare the city with those of the Systems Alliance.

It wasn't a good result.

For all the buildup on Alliance planets, they simply didn't have the population to justify massive cities. With the threat of the Covenant at their back, people had spread out as much as possible on the surface of Terra to maximize their chances of escape, as centralizing into a city would make a better target for attack. Easier to defend as well, but defense wasn't really seen as a viable option for the Alliance's orbital assets.

Here, that wasn't a concern due to the defenses above and, if Shepard wasn't mistaken, on the ground as well.

That brought Jane's mind to the subjects that had been marked as imperative for the Alliance to discuss with the UEG. While meetings with all members of the Citadel delegation were certainly scheduled, Shepard had also been assigned to accompany the Alliance diplomats to more private gatherings on the journey to Earth. As a soldier of the Alliance, she had been authorized to discuss how joint forces would be utilized and managed, though Shepard was also familiar with the other important topics.

Most prominently among those was how the Alliance and UEG would hand immigration and emigration from their respective states. Considering the fact that Humanity had been united for more than two hundred years before the Covenant War, no one was really sure how to handle the situation since every planet in the UEG had had open borders. Fear of a coming war as well as the status of the Alliance on the Citadel Council prevented an easy decision. The reputation of the SA had been damaged by the revelations from First Contact, meaning that the Council could pressure them into being a stepping stone for other Citadel species to make their way into UEG and Warden space.

Obviously, the Wardens were not too keen on that.

Aside from that controversy, Jane knew that the name of the Systems Alliance homeworld was being reviewed as well. When established, the planet was thought to have been the last bastion of Humanity. Every human could still say that the homeworld of the species was Terra, even if the context was slightly skewed. Now that they knew that Earth hadn't been destroyed, the politicians wanted to play their games with renaming the world.

Shepard personally considered it to be rather obvious that the UEG would win any argument over the rights to the name of Terra. However much she was used to calling her home planet such, the Commander knew when to acquiesce. Of course, the debate over what to rename the Alliance homeworld would certainly be interesting when they returned, but in all likelihood Shepard would be dealing with the joint force project rather than getting involved in political games like that.

Any further considerations on the topics of discussion for the upcoming meetings were pushed from Jane's mind as she heard the door to the room open. From the obvious clumsy shuffling, Shepard knew that it was merely Liara fumbling around in the dark.

Giving one last examination of the view outside, Jane turned away from the view and made her way back to the entrance to try and help out. Behind her, the massive circle of metal that made up the Portal sat, oddly lacking in any form of illumination underneath the clouds.

* * *

 **Encountered a little issue in this chapter. See, the UEG can build Orbital Tethers (also known as Orbital Elevators). Now, that's all well and good, except that an Orbital Tether on Earth would have to be about 70,000 kilometers long.**

 **And Earth had six of them in 2552, before the Covenant attack. Harvest had one. Mineral-rich colony worlds commonly have them. Circinius IV had one. Arcadia had three. Cascade had one. Luna had multiple. Mars has some. Harvest had seven. Reach had nine. Meridian had one.**

 **MERIDIAN. Literally a ball of glass, with a private corporation chipping away in a terraforming effort.**

 **That means that private companies can build Orbital Tethers on minor worlds.**

 **Not all of them are 70,000 kilometers long, admittedly, but still. There are at least 29 known Orbital tethers in Halo. The Covenant destroyed most, but the fact that Meridian had one indicates that they could be rebuilt very quickly.**

 **It is also possible that Halo humans have technology that allows them to NOT be so long. If you care one way or the other, give a shout with a PM or what have you.**

 **Also, I know that Hood in Halo 3 said that Rtas glassed half of Africa. Considering the fact that the ending speech was given on a hillside next to the Portal at Voi, I think that's a huge exaggeration. You can also see the portal and surrounding area when the forward half of the** _ **Dawn**_ **is crashing, and it looks like there's still greenery around the area as well.**

 **That construction is 117 kilometers across, by the way. It is most certainly visible from low Earth orbit.**

 **Sorry once again for the lateness of this update.**

 _-evevee_


	17. Out on the Town

Disclaimer: I own no franchise mentioned in this work. Halo belongs to 343, Mass Effect to Bioware.

 **Had an oddly hard time writing this. Considering the content, I didn't think that would be the case. Sorry that it was late, but avoided going on hiatus at least.**

 **Please remember that the Ark Portal is 117 kilometers across in canon. The visual in Halo 3 doesn't give a structure of that size justice. Going by that diameter, the plates that rise into the air would all be taller than Mount Everest. The slipspace portal generated would cover the entire horizon. It would be glorious and terrifying.**

 **Apologies for no Review Responses, had a hard time getting this out as it is. Thank you to all for the reviews!**

* * *

 **16th Day of 4th Month, 2459/May 16, 2589/May 16, 2180**

 **New Mombasa**

 **Earth**

With all the excitement from finally arriving at Earth, it was no surprise to Shepard to see many beings from the Citadel delegation already present at the dining area the next morning. Many of them had gotten more rest that usual on the flight to the planet anyways, something that the UEG had to know if they were actually keeping tabs on the foreign dignitaries. Going off of that, the only conclusion that Jane could come to was that the extra time to relax last night was to allow the shock to wear off.

For herself and Liara, it was certainly appreciated.

While Shepard had had little issue getting to sleep, she knew that Liara had stayed up quite a bit later writing down her observations, ideas, and thoughts. Considering the amazing view of the Portal that was visible from their room, it wasn't hard for Shepard to deduce that it would be a while before the Asari pulled herself away to eat.

After taking a second to grab something she recognized from the prepared items, Jane took an empty seat at a table that was occupied by three Turians. From the security briefings aboard the transport earlier it was easy for her to recognize Captain Vidinos, the leader of the security for the Citadel Delegation. The other two, while familiar to Shepard, were still nameless.

That was quickly changed as Vidinos turned his attention to her and greeted, "Commander. Something you wish to discuss?"

"No, just figured to meet some of the team," Shepard replied.

"The infamous Butcher of Torfan finally graces us with her presence. Spectre Garrus Vakarian," one of the Turians said.

His partner glanced over at the sarcastic comment but seemed to dismiss it easily as he picked up, "Spectre Saren Arterius."

Shepard raised an eyebrow and commented, "Two Spectres on a diplomatic mission. Interesting."

"Better us than some idiot that doesn't know what they're dealing with," Garrus grumbled.

"And you do?" Jane asked.

Saren huffed at that in what Shepard decided to interpret as a laugh before the Turian explained, "Maybe not, but we can at least assume more than most. Making First Contact seems to be a good mark on the record."

"That's where I recognized you two from," the Commander said, vaguely remembering them from the meeting with the Warden party on the Citadel. "You sure didn't stick around for long."

A shrug was the only response from Garrus as he let Saren reply, "Our place is out in the field, not playing political games."

"Going to be a long trip then," Jane pointed out.

"Yeah," Garrus answered, "Got some stuff to do though. Check out the big circle, maybe try to get a look at some military hardware. Luckily the diplomats will mostly be staying here since they don't have any meetings, so don't have to babysit."

Vidinos sighed, though Shepard couldn't tell if it was exasperation or agreement from the turian. When it became clear that the Captain wouldn't be saying anything, Jane turned her attention back to Garrus and asked, "How long have you been in service?"

"Started when I was fifteen," Garrus responded. "Was on the first ship out here through the Relay, ready to explore and eager to please. That was thirty years ago, and I'd been in for about eight years at that point. Was still excited about the adventure without the experience to back it up."

At the curious look from Shepard, he explained, "Got command of a ship due to my father's pull with the Primarch. Shouldn't have had it, and I prefer the ground anyways, but that was the way it went. Ended up making contact with a vessel by the name of _Spirit of Fire_ and attended the First Contact between the Council and Alliance. During my Spectre evaluation we found the Unggoy and have been playing Council's advocate to them ever since."

"That's...actually quite impressive," Jane complimented. "Something like this seems like it'd be the perfect assignment."

"Could be," Saren said, drawing the attention of the table as he continued, "Whether the Council listens to what we report is another matter. Does beat wandering around with no idea about what we'd encounter, though."

Shepard took a moment to consider that before asking, "Why wouldn't they? It's not like they can just ignore a report from a Spectre. What's the point if they just dismiss the evaluations of their own agents?"

Garrus laughed and replied, "That's exactly what I thought. Praise the Council, they will listen. Maybe the Alliance is different, but any warning either of us has given the Council has gone unheeded."

"Warnings?"

Saren idly pointed upwards as he explained, "You saw the shipyard we passed over as we came in. You saw the ship that the Wardens arrived in for First Contact. The Council thinks that those ships are the largest the Wardens have, even with how little intelligence we actually have. Garrus and I both think otherwise, or at least consider it a possibility. Our ideas have gone unheeded."

"That doesn't make any sense," Shepard muttered, though it was loud enough for the others to hear.

Garrus nodded in agreement, "Considering the possibility of inferiority is not something the Council likes to do. Any suggestion that ships without Mass Effect could pose a threat is quickly dismissed due to lack of proof. If things keep going forward, though, then the Council will get their proof. Can't say more than that."

Jane understood the implied confidentiality, leading her to change the subject and ask, "Any interest in the joint forces idea that has been making the round on the rumor mill? Seems like a Spectre would jump at the opportunity, especially if the Council is desperate for information."

"With our assignment to this mission, it seems likely that at least one of us will be joining the crew. As for the Fleets, can't say. Council's been pretty silent on the whole thing, but the leading theory is that the Exploration fleets are going to be repurposed for that duty," Garrus responded.

"They want a Spectre with some experience and knowledge of the UEG?" Shepard idly inquired.

Saren gave the Commander an odd look and explained, "No, we'll be meeting our counterparts at some point this trip. At least the ones from the 'UNSC' military, I don't know about the other Warden species."

"What?" Jane exclaimed. "Where did you learn that?"

"The Council said that it was offered by the Wardens. What's it to you?" Garrus retorted.

Ignoring her unfinished breakfast for the moment, Shepard turned all her attention to the Spectre and answered, "I'm leading the Alliance component of the crew. Command hadn't heard anything about this meeting so they didn't anyone else. Is there some sort of authorization that's needed that would prevent others from attending?"

"Not that I know of. From what we were told, it's supposed to be rather informal," Saren replied.

The Commander nodded before pulling up her omnitool and requesting, "Could you send me the details on that? Provided that they aren't classified, in which case I'd just ask the coordinator."

"We weren't told to not share it," Garrus said, making no effort to hide his amusement. "I don't know why the Council kept it quiet, but feel free to spread it around. If our hosts don't want someone there, then that's their problem."

Shepard glanced at Vidinos, leading the Turian to state, "It's no more of a security concern than it was before. Obviously the whole team won't be able to go, but it sounds like this is just for this joint crew thing anyways."

"Speaking of that, what is the plan for today?" Garrus asked.

"In regards to securing the delegation?" Vidinos questioned in return as he tried to follow the sudden change in topic. At the nod of confirmation from the Spectre, the Captain continued, "Not much. Communications have been established with the local police force which makes it easy to avoid troublesome areas, but after looking around a bit last night, there isn't much to be worried about."

At the surprised looks from the others, Vidinos explained, "The level of automation is amazing. There's some computers that we can use that have access to the local Extranet. Apparently the whole city is one big grid, all connected to various networks that allow communication between devices. Just using the public access feature I could see the weather, traffic conditions, and just about anything else I wanted."

"Managing something like that would be a nightmare without the right systems. Even a VI wouldn't be able to monitor an entire city," Shepard replied, her tone making the implication in her statement obvious.

Saren seemed slightly exasperated as he responded, "If they do have an AI managing their city, then what are we supposed to do about it? It's their problem if there is a problem."

"Seems like allowing us that much information is exactly the opposite of their previous strategy," Garrus pointed out.

"It's about control," Jane retorted. At the curious looks from the turians, she explained, "We don't have the capability to grab every single thing off their Extranet. It's the perfect defense, really. Allow us access to so much information that we can't go through it all and, even more importantly, we can't know what we don't have access to."

After considering that for a second, Saren argued, "If their security really consists of that then there is little to be concerned about. Sure, we might not find everything we're looking for, but we also don't have to. The schedule for events for the trip give us ample time to explore and, even better, visit academic institutions where our questions about various topics can be answered directly."

"I think you underestimate the amount of knowledge that has been presented," Vidinos countered calmly.

Saren glanced at the Turian Guard Captain and responded, "I've seen the Alliance Extranet. It's broad, especially for the situation they were put in, but it isn't on the scale of the Citadel network. I also do not think that the Wardens would seriously consider volume as a primary defense. Assuming the worst, there is little hope to obtain truly useful information. As good as a Salarian might be at breaking into things, even they are outclassed by AI."

Shepard interjected, "The Alliance brought what it could, but a lot was lost due to the Cole Protocol as well as compression. If it wasn't needed, then we cut it out for something that was."

"Perhaps that might account for some difference in size, but not all. If I were to search for orbital elevators on the Citadel Extranet, how many results would I get?" Vidinos questioned.

Garrus considered the query for a second before answering, "Tens of thousands locally, less than a hundred thousands though. Mostly scientific research, mathematical papers, or fiction pieces, along with a few other things. If you sent the request out to the comm buoy network, significantly more depending on how far your search went."

"Which takes time. As fast as they are, the comm buoy network has too much traffic already. Even if they were open, though, instantaneous communication isn't possible with them."

"Your point?" Saren asked rhetorically, already knowing where Vidinos was going with this.

The Guard Captain replied, "When I looked up that term here, I got several billion results almost instantly. Codex pages from multiple places, tourist information, news events, design proposals. That was just one term, yet already the data presented surpasses our ability to process. What I noted, however, is that the origin of each source was noted. My simple search reached out to different systems, even though my question could have been answered with only a few results."

"So you've proved the volume of information problem exists," Garrus stated with feigned boredom.

Shepard exhaled in amusement at that before responding, "It also proves that the Wardens have near-instantaneous communications. We now know that not only are their connections fast but also reliable. Part of that may be that we are here and thus they've given traffic from this location priority, but I'd err on the side of caution with that assumption."

"Always a good choice, especially with intelligence like this. Why would they allow us to see the names of so many colonies though? All we need to do is count and we'd know how many worlds they have, or at least get a rough idea," Saren pointed out.

"Their method of communication probably requires significantly more resources. It isn't like the Citadel with the Mass Relays, where a single comm buoy on each end basically ensures a reliable connection. More isolated worlds may not have a connection," Jane countered.

Saren thought about that before arguing, "Even their ships seem to have prodigious communication and detection abilities, however much the Council may not like it. Something doesn't add up in that if the Wardens can't even establish contact with remote colonies."

"Leave that to the experts then, still nothing we can do," Garrus said after a short pause. "Anything you're doing today that's interesting?"

Jane shrugged slightly but accepted the change in topic and replied, "Going to watch this portal thing. I really have no idea what to expect, but Liara wouldn't let me miss it anyways. Maybe drop by the orbital tether and see if there's any information on it. Mostly interested in how to defend such a structure."

"Should have a pretty good view from close by. Did a walk of the perimeter last night and this building is actually quite close to the structure," Vidinos told her.

An orange flash heralded Saren's omnitool appearing as he quickly checked something before adding, "That should be happening soon, actually. Care if we join you?"

"Feel free, we'll meet you outside," Shepard replied before standing and making her way out of the room.

As promised, it didn't take long at at for the human Commander to appear once again, this time accompanied by a young Asari. Aside from some quick greetings, no words were exchanged as they followed one of the trip guides through the streets. The streets weren't particularly crowded as there didn't seem to be many people out, though the few that they saw seemed quite interested in the small party of Citadel species, to no one's surprise.

Arriving at the edge of the massive structure, Garrus noted that several other groups were presented, at least two of which were made up of beings from the Citadel delegation. Turning his attention to the Portal itself, a distinct sense of unease took root in the Turian's mind.

In front and to both sides of the group was a simply massive slab of flat metal that extended out to the horizon. Even seeing it from the diplomatic residence they had rested in didn't give a proper sense of size. The far side of the object wasn't even visible due to the distance, something that had been easy to attribute to the darkness last night.

While they waited for whatever was going to happen, more humans began gathering around the walkway that seemed to mark the point where the city ended and the portal began. Obviously the area was a large tourist attraction for humans as well, though the groups of Citadel species drew significant attention away from the usual view. From a quick scan of the crowd, however, Garrus noted that the citizens were keeping their distance and thus were not an immediate threat to worry about.

Any other distractions were summarily dismissed as a thundering clang echoed above the surface of the Portal. It took no effort to identify the cause as the middle of the massive structure began to sink beneath the surface.

Ringing the newly created pit, however, were at least four sections of metal that stayed completely flat. At first, these were only visible due to the contrast against the horizon, but that was quickly solved as they began to rise high into the air.

Garrus turned his attention away from the closest of these and looked out into the distance. Even with the enormous gap, he could make out more of the metal slabs being elevated into the atmosphere from across the Portal.

Within seconds it became apparent that there were twelve arms each multiple kilometers in length, though it was also obvious that they were significantly shorter than the Wards of the Citadel. Even so, seeing such large masses moved with so little effort was telling, especially when the sinking of the central piece was taken into consideration.

As interesting as it was to watch the separate sections continue their ascent, everyone's attention was quickly drawn back towards the center of the Portal as a bright light began to shine form below, illuminating the surrounding area. While the source was invisible at first due to the lowered platform, this was fixed almost instantly as a beam of bluish light shot up into the sky.

The thin strand quickly disappeared into the upper reaches of the atmosphere, much like the Orbital Tether that it was parallel to. Unlike the elevator, however, the beam of light began to quickly grow. It only took seconds before the spectacle was too bright to look at directly.

For a second, Garrus considered the idea that the intense light might be harmful to the Citadel Delegation. That was quickly dismissed when he factored in the fact that this thing was beside a large human settlement. From the multitude of humans also averting their eyes, it was easy to tell that the UEG wasn't concerned about their own citizens being harmed while in close proximity to the event either.

It was only a few more seconds before a flash emanated from the center of the Portal, though it was only possible to tell that due to the shadows cast by the event. Almost immediately after this a strong gust of air struck the edge of the platform before continuing out into the city.

While not nearly strong enough to injure anyone, it was still surprising enough that Garrus took a step back to steady himself. In doing so, he instinctively looked up as the brilliant light faded away.

The view that greeted him was both unexpected and unwelcome.

Quite simply, there was no longer a sky. Where before clouds had drifted high above and small patches of blue had been visible, there was only darkness. Not the dark of night, nor that of space, but rather a simple lack of anything.

After staring for a few seconds, the Spectre finally understood what he was looking at.

Floating high above them was a slipspace portal. Unlike the others that Garrus had seen, however, this specific opening was not some small occurence to allow a ship into the other-worldly existence.

Instead, the portal created by the massive structure stretched across the entire horizon, casting a shadow across the city and out onto the ocean. There was no light in its depths, nor any other indication that anything but the void existed inside. Or didn't exist, depending on how he thought about it. Directly above them was the edge, with the bright daytime sky providing sharp contrast to the outline of the portal.

It was only when a human ship interrupted the uniform blackness that Garrus could gauge how far away the opening was. Even then, he was only capable of deducing that the portal had to be in the middle to upper portion of the atmosphere.

From there the sky began to quickly fill with vessels on a course to enter the portal. Cargo ships and other such civilian craft seemed to be more common than anything else, something that was surprising to Garrus. While he didn't know where the portal led to, the fact that the UEG would allow citizens access to it so easily was interesting.

Eventually the stream of civilian vessels stopped, leaving a clear view of a large _thing_ slowly making its way towards the portal. Escorting what Garrus could only describe as a misshapen lump of metal were several UNSC ships. Considering the weaponry visible even from their position on the group, it wasn't hard to deduce that they were warships, though that begged the question of why they were needed.

The only thing Garrus could equate the largest ship to was an orbital station, yet the fact that it was moving under its own power gave away its status as a mobile platform. As he dealt with the visual of the large object approaching the slipspace portal above, the Turian Spectre suddenly saw the true display taking place.

It was a well-known fact that vessels powered by Mass Effect had issues in atmospheric flight. Smaller craft like shuttles or even frigates could deal with the gravitational pull of a planet, but Cruisers and Dreadnoughts simply did not have enough thrust or strong enough Mass Effect fields to do the same.

That humans could so easily maneuver such a large object through not only a gravity well but also a moderately dense atmosphere showed a glaring disparity. Whether it was unintentional or not, the UNSC had just shown the Citadel Delegation that they had the capability to dominate entire battlefields if orbital supremacy was obtained. If the massive ship that the Wardens used at First Contact had the same ability, then there would be no choice but to abandon the ground fight if orbit was lost. Even if bombardment was discarded, the reinforcements available to an enemy with dreadnoughts in atmosphere would be overwhelming.

Garrus discarded such disparaging thoughts as he turned to the guide that had joined them. Apparently the human was amazed at the sight as well as he looked up into the sky, though the Turian also noted that he appeared completely unfazed by the gaping abyss of the slipspace portal.

Before the Spectre could ask anything, his attention was drawn upward by the receding cloud cover. More specifically, he was focused on the cityscape that became visible as buildings emerged from the mist.

Obviously he had seen the base of each as they made their way here, and it wasn't hard to know that each structure was quite tall considering the fact that many disappeared into the clouds before ending. It was rather strange to see, as the only buildings of that height that he had ever seen before had been on the Citadel itself. Cities on planets tended to spread out rather than up, though there were a couple exceptions.

As with so many other things that humans did, it seemed like they did not conform to that standard either. Maybe it was due to this being their homeworld or it might have just been the species, but the view that Garrus was presented certainly supported some such conclusion.

In front of him was the city, with the Orbital Tether rising into the thinning clouds behind it all. Yet even that was barely visible through the canyon created by the walls of glass and metal that stretched far above them. Strangely, it seemed like the towers were divided into sections, at least judging by the gaps between each group of structures.

Ignoring that particular oddity, the Spectre got the human's attention as he asked, "How deep is the center of this thing?"

Everyone else in the group looked over in interest as they overheard the question. This allowed Garrus to note the concerned frown that Saren wore, leaving little doubt that the elder Spectre's thoughts had been the same as Garrus' own. Shepard hid her emotions too well for the Turian to be able to read her, but the expression of unadulterated curiosity on Liara's face gave away her opinion of the events.

After glancing around at the sudden attention, the guide gathered himself and answered, "About twenty kilometers, well into the continental crust."

"How is all of this powered?" Liara questioned, seeing the opportunity for easy information.

"Forerunner technology uses Vacuum Energy as a power source. Since it's such a massive source of energy, the UEG siphons excess into the grid to reduce the load while the Portal isn't active."

Even Liara seemed confused by that as she inquired, "Vacuum Energy?"

The guide shrugged and countered, "Something really powerful that we don't really understand. I'm sure there are experts who know more, but from what I've seen on Waypoint it is really hard to examine the technology safely. Kind of like working near slipspace drives."

"I heard about that on our trip here. Your drives cause temporal anomalies. The same is true of the devices of a much older and more advanced civilization?" Liara asked skeptically.

"Well, no, not when they're working. Human drives have gotten much better after the War since we have examples to build off of. Doing maintenance on any drive is really dangerous though, to the point that it's preferred to dispose of it rather than risk a disaster. That's true of any slipspace drive, Forerunners included. Though they don't really need maintenance generally," the human responded.

Before Liara could continue the questions, Shepard interjected, "Would it be possible to talk to someone who would know more about that?"

A nod gave away the reply, "Of course. There's also the Museum of Humanity here in New Mombasa if you wanted to look at some of the historical development of interstellar travel."

"Oh great," mumbled Shepard, getting a look of amusement from Saren in return.

"Absolutely," Liara replied, easily ignoring the comment from her partner. "By the name I assume that it covers more than just travel."

The guide responded, "Some sections are still under construction, but it is designed to show the comprehensive history of the human species. We can head there now if you would like. Not going to see much more from the Portal, just ships entering to travel to the Ark until it closes in the afternoon."

Liara looked back at Shepard, who simply stated, "It does sound interesting, but we won't be able to look at everything and still make it back in time to leave."

"At least we'll get a glimpse," Garrus commented as they began to follow the guide away from the massive structure.

There wasn't much talking from that point as one of the human vehicles arrived to take them to their destination. As they went further into the city, it was easy to see the increase in activity around them. On every side of the street were humans, some standing around and others hurrying to an unknown destination. Even with the crowds, traffic went on without interruption, always moving forward.

Walkways above the street allowed this, though Garrus also observed groups descending below the surface into what had to be some form of underground tunnel network. It was completely unlike anything else he had seen before, as almost all vehicle traffic for Council species was airborne, leaving pedestrians to wander unhindered.

It seemed like humans had it figured out, however, as their vehicle once again pulled onto the large road leading away from the Orbital Tether. Rather than the scarce motorists that had been present last night when they arrived, the road was now filled with a large variety of different designs. Everything had its own defining features as Garrus struggled to find any two identical models.

Eventually he sat back, defeated but able to think about his observations. It was a small thing, yet it showed an important difference in human production. Unlike the Citadel and worlds under it, where basically every skycar looked the same, the UEG equivalents were diverse in role as well as construction. This implied a large industry with competing elements rather than the monopolized X3M models produced by Citadel species.

Determined to not be distracted by such random thoughts, Garrus watched as the canyon of glass gave way to much shorter and significantly smaller buildings. While he couldn't identify the use of all of them, many were obviously residential or commercial in nature.

By the time the vehicle had reached their destination, there was little to look at but grassland and the Portal that still hung over the horizon. Considering the importance that seemed to be given to this Museum of Humanity that they were visiting, it was odd for it to be so far removed from civilization. The only explanations that Garrus could think of to explain the location were for the purpose of security or to allow the Museum to expand further than it would be able to in a city.

The only other thing near them was a simple building, with an elegant yet simple design. As their guide led them towards this structure, Garrus concluded that the actual museum must be hidden below the surface.

That assumption proved correct as the small group was led inside and almost immediately onto an elevator much like the one that had carried them down the orbital tether. There were no windows on the platform and the artificial gravity made it difficult to tell that they were moving, let alone how fast.

After descending for several minutes, there was a slight change in the feel of the platform. From his prior experience aboard ships, Garrus thought it likely that they were now traveling sideways rather than down. Assuming that they were still facing the same direction as when they entered, the Spectre concluded that they would be headed towards the Portal, or rather under it at this point.

It was only a short time later that the doors of the elevator opened to reveal a spacious atrium. Soft lights were inset into the ceiling, giving the entire area a somber glow that was enough to see by but could not be considered well lit.

A human looked up at them for barely a second, scanning the new aliens before noting the guide leading them. Apparently they were expected as the man simply returned to whatever he was doing before, ignoring the group as they passed him by.

From there, the group emerged into the Museum proper. Lining the walls were various exhibits, much like such displays in Citadel space. In keeping with the atmosphere presented at the front, the area was sparsely lit, with the most light being directed at the pedestals to highlight their importance.

Directly to their right was the first exhibit. Instead of the expected description of prehistoric humans or something like that, there was only a group of symbols and a small placard. Seeing as translators were restricted to audio and not visual interpretation, neither Garrus nor Saren had any chance of reading the text.

The guide seemed to understand this as he began to explain, "This is a representation of the unknown, specifically directed at the questions that humans have about our origins. As more is discovered, the Museum will be rearranged, but this specific piece will always remain. The plate is constantly updated with the latest information about discoveries of the past. It currently talks about investigations into interactions between Humanity and the Forerunners, as that is one of the fastest growing fields in historical research."

"What about the symbols?" Liara asked curiously.

"Every one of these is used in some human language to denote a question. Some look similar, others completely different from the rest, but every one has the same meaning," the guide answered.

That response was accepted as the group began to make their way through the space. From the number of empty spots, it was obvious that the Museum was still setting up exhibits, but even then it was possible to get a decent idea of human history.

As Liara made her way through the area, she mentally compared what she was seeing to the historical account given to the Council at First Contact. Included in her observations were the differences between how humans and Citadel species presented their history.

Just from the few displays she had seen already, however, it was obvious to the Asari xenoarchaeologist that most of the information in this section was speculative. This matched the speech given by the UEG representative on the Citadel, yet it was also clear just why attention had been directed at human advancements.

Unlike the majority of Citadel species, humans seemed to be absolutely enthralled with their history. Most beings in Citadel space didn't consider any ancient history beyond Protheans to be important, a fallacy that Liara had fallen into as well. Almost all historical records for those under the Council focused on the discovery of Prothean technology and space exploration. Little consideration was given to ancient history, such as how civilization developed or why Protheans seemed to have visited every space faring species.

If the Systems Alliance warnings were to be believed, then this was due to the influence of the Reapers. Even though she had grown up on the Alliance homeworld, it had been difficult to think that such a thing would be possible. This influenced Liara to research the subject for her doctorate's, allowing her to examine a multitude of archeological digs undertaken by the Alliance in the Citadel galaxy as well as gain access to the Prothean beacon itself.

In Citadel circles, her resulting dissertation had been laughed off, disregarded as ludicrous. For the University, however, it had just been quietly added to the growing library of documents supporting the case.

As Liara came up to a model of the Portal on the surface above, she was distracted from those memories by the opportunity to learn more about the massive alien artifact. Having lived on a human planet for years, she had no issues reading the board next to the model. From that, she gathered that the UEG was still investigating why the structure existed as well as another mention that the destination was the mysterious Ark that the guide had talked about earlier.

Choosing to focus on the fact that humans seemed to actually question why an alien species had been interested in their world rather than whatever the Ark was, Liara continued deeper into the Museum. At a certain point she noticed that Jane was keeping her in sight, though she seemed much more interested in the history of her own species than in worrying about security in the seemingly deserted hallways.

The sections about early human history went by fairly quickly, giving way to much more detailed accounts of the events shown in each exhibit. Liara recognized this as the shift that the representative had described when talking about the discovery of written language.

After a while of wandering through the passage, looking at each display and noting anything interesting, Liara came up to a series of photos embedded into the wall. What caught her attention, however, was the title declaring that the pictures and other artifacts nearby were from 'World War I'.

Ignoring the implication that such a large-scale conflict would be held multiple times, Liara focused on the images themselves. Rather than the glorification of heroes or specific battles, the pictures were obviously taken at the spur of the moment, sometimes in the middle of battle.

Descriptions of each scenario were provided beside the images, which truly helped the Asari figure out what she was seeing. One picture only contained dirt and half a wall, yet apparently an entire town had once stood in the same place. A forest was wiped out to the point that only sticks and a few barren trunks were still present. What looked like smoke from a grass fire was in fact a chemical attack that resulted in the deaths of thousands. An aerial photograph allowed her to see the scale of battle construction, with trenches that stretched from coast to coast. Fields full of bodies from a number of different battles, along with casualty statistics.

Liara had studied the history of all known species in Citadel space, as was to be expected from someone in her profession. Out of all of those species, the only two that had a conflict of this scale while still isolated to their homeworld were the Krogan and Drell. The Turians had had their Unification War and the Morning War for the Quarians, yet both of those were after those species had discovered Mass Effect and FTL travel.

Out of the two known species that had had a World War while still a single-world species, both had nearly annihilated themselves.

As she made her way to the next section of the Museum, Liara thought back to First Contact. More specifically, she remembered how the UEG representative told the Council that humanity had waged two World Wars within a century of each other.

Instead of a section about the peace between these conflicts, however, the Asari was almost immediately looking at more relics of battles long past. Much like the previous room, this exhibit contained photography as well as physical relics from the era. Unwilling to look at yet more images that brought up her own experience as a soldier in the Alliance, Liara started to turn away.

Before she could leave, a specific snapshot caught her attention. It wasn't due to the lack of color or absence of anything living, but rather the exact opposite. Corpses, simply piled together, not in the orderly manner of a battlefield cleanup or sprawled in the chaos of battle but as if they were mere rocks.

Liara had seen many things during her career. Working on the isolated planets of the Alliance, that was to be expected. She had seen the aftermath of battle, helped clear the bodies and debris on Elysium after the Blitz. She wouldn't claim to be nearly as experienced as Jane at creating the carnage, but she was by no means any stranger to it.

What she was looking at right now wasn't anything like that.

There was no way in which the gaunt forms could have fought against their fate. It wasn't battle or famine that killed them as the wire fence of a prison camp could be seen in the background. As far as Liara could tell, the image depicted a systematic slaughter of civilians or prisoners without coherent reason.

She didn't even bother turning to face the group as they entered, instead merely asking, "What happened here?"

The guide had no issue in understanding what she was asking about as he answered, "Crimes against Humanity, specifically the genocide of a number of ethnic groups in the Holocaust. It is one of the most horrific events in human history, with between six to seventeen million people killed, depending on the groups included. Ultimately, the war claimed fifty to over eighty million, once again dependent on which deaths are included."

"Yet it is memorialized here?" Liara questioned critically.

"To deny that it happened and strike it from history would be a crime itself. As much as we don't like it, we must face our past or be doomed to repeat it. The Museum of Humanity wasn't built to pander to any one nation or coddle to what looks good. It is the story of Humanity, from the earliest known records to modern events, preserved with as little censoring as possible. A lot of events are omitted due to current space limitations, but the end goal is to commemorate our species in a manner that can be understood by our descendants." As he finished that statement, the guide came to a stop next to Liara, joining her in looking at the grotesque imagery.

He continued, "This isn't supposed to be pleasant to look at. It was the most deadly conflict in known history at that point, and the Long Peace that followed lasted until the Jovian Moons campaign in 2160. For 200 years, there was peace between the major human powers. Sure, smaller conflicts happened, but nothing on this scale nor that of the following Interplanetary Wars. Your delegation is allowed to view the Museum before it's opened so that you can understand why we want to avoid a conflict with your Council."

"They put that much trust in us? This place contains priceless artifacts from your history and you let us walk around unguarded? That does not seem to fit the policy of isolation that your government seems to have adopted," Saren commented in return.

Their guide acknowledged that as he replied, "Most of the collection is kept in a secured location. After Earth was hit at the end of the War, the risk of extinction was recognized as a legitimate threat. Thus, to ensure the preservation of our legacy in the case of such an event, the Museum was founded. Almost all remaining relics have been moved to ensure their survival, even if the surface is glassed."

"Wouldn't this place lose power in that case, endangering the protective measures?" Garrus pointed out.

"The vault is powered by the Portal, which has been active for over 100,000 years as it is. To destroy the vault, you'd need to destroy the Portal, and it's predicted that that would lead to the destruction of the planet as well," the guide responded.

Shepard was the first to speak after that as she said, "And you're fine with having something that could destroy your world on the surface?"

"Not even that, but to use it as well?" Liara added.

A look of confusion crossed the guide's face as he argued, "It's a slipspace portal. Sure, it's a rather large one, but the return portal from the Ark is even larger. The Forerunners knew how to build their stuff, and even if it was broken it wouldn't spontaneously explode. There might be a few issues with repairing the thing, but we still did so after it was damaged in the Battle for Earth."

"How large is this Ark?" Liara asked hesitantly after several seconds of silence followed the guide's statement. In the Asari's mind, the Ark was some station out Goddess knows where. She knew it would be large, but from what the human had just said, it almost seemed more like a planet than an artificial structure. Perhaps an exaggeration, but Liara wasn't willing to discount it before disproving the theory.

"I don't know, never been there myself, but I've heard that it's larger than Earth at least."

Though she wasn't happy with that answer, Liara accepted it as the best she would get. When it became clear that she wouldn't speak up, Garrus inquired, "You mentioned glassing before. What is that?"

Before the guide could reply, Shepard interjected, "Bombardment by plasma, turning everything to a glass-like material with some sciency name. Covenant liked to use it during the War."

"This exhibit is personal. You get to see the faces of those who died. When we get to the section on the Covenant War, there will be a few like that, of the aftermath of what few victories were achieved. Mostly, though, it's what we call the Hall of Worlds. A memorial of every world hit by the Covenant and the damage caused," the guide told them.

"What does a glassed world look like?" Garrus questioned out of curiosity as they began to move down the displays once more.

A shake of his head was the guide's only reply for a second as he paused in thought. Eventually, he gathered himself and responded, "I saw a few during the War. Imagine a planet, with cities and oceans and green across the land. Now boil away the water, cover the atmosphere in clouds of toxic fumes, and leave the cities as black scars on the land from where the glassing beams hit. Even the Covenant couldn't glass an entire planet without hundreds of ships, but it would still be like nothing you've ever seen before."

"I think I have, actually," Garrus stated hesitantly. The rest of the group looked at him in confusion, ignoring the exhibits on the human's Jovian Moons campaign as the Spectre explained, "When I was with my Exploration Fleet out on the frontier, we encountered a number of dead worlds. They were only notable because they weren't the usual space rocks that were easy to find out there. On all of them, the surface looked like it had been melted, but it was the entire surface, not localized as you described it."

"That certainly sounds like glassing, and the Covenant could glass entire planets if they pushed enough resources into it," the guide admitted. "What doesn't make sense is that the only worlds that the Covenant glassed are in Warden territory. As far as I know, none of your exploration fleets have penetrated past Mupmup, let alone far enough to find the glasslands. The only species out where you were exploring were the Forerunners 100,000 years ago."

Saren interjected, "Were they capable of glassing planets?"

"Absolutely," came the reply. "For them, it would be primitive though. Even more important, their Mantle of Responsibility wouldn't permit the extermination of life that glassing causes."

A short period of silence overtook the group as they continued walking. Liara had stopped several times to look at exhibits, but she didn't stay behind since the displays were all rather sparse. It was easy for the the group to tell that this area hadn't yet been completed, hence why the Museum was still closed to public visitation.

As they were approaching the end of the exhibit hall, the guide spoke up once more, "There will be several UNSC personnel present when your delegation meets with UEG officials. Please talk to them about this planet you came across, including all the details you can. If you have its location, that would be excellent."

"I read several reports about these worlds from the various CEFs that were deployed. Some noted the coordinates, but most groups ignored these planets since they simply looked like oddities without any hope of colonization. How will knowing their position help you?" Saren questioned.

"Something attacked those world, and it wasn't the Forerunners or the Covenant as the first wouldn't do that and the second didn't exist back then. If whatever did that is still out there, then we need to know about it," the guide explained.

The group arrived back at the front desk after that, quickly boarding the elevator as the human they had seen before continued working and diligently ignoring them. Liara took the chance to ask several questions about the history she had seen on the way back to the city, though the Asari notably avoided any queries about human conflicts.

When they arrived, the guide led them to the door of the building before stating, "Your journey to meet with UEG officials will begin soon. The group coordinator can provide any details that you may need. I hope you enjoyed your short time here in New Mombasa and that you continue to find the answers to your questions." With that, he was gone, leaving Shepard, Liara, and the two Council Spectres to make their way inside.

After exchanging goodbyes, the Turians broke off as each went to prepare for the short trip ahead. Shepard and Liara took the chance to spend some downtime together, both knowing that the next few days would be full of diplomatic tripe as the politicians mingled.

While in their room, they had the chance to watch as the Portal outside was shut down, leaving nothing to show that it had ever existed. By the time the light was fading from the sky, all members of the Citadel delegation had been notified that they would be leaving shortly.

As part of the security force, Shepard was tasked with accompanying the Alliance diplomat while travelling. While mildly bothersome due to the situation, the guy himself was actually fairly decent in cooperating with security procedures, making Shepard's job much easier. Usually she didn't socialize with the politicians due to their countenance, but if this one proved to be decent then Jane might actually learn his name. She had heard it in passing at one point but didn't remember it since it wasn't pertinent to her job.

Consigned to the boring position of silent sentinel for the duration of the trip, Jane idly scanned the horizon as they moved through traffic. Even though the road was full of vehicles, there was no stopping. It seemed like every driver knew exactly where they were going and had no issue with being in the correct lane. It was odd to see as it was so different from what Jane had seen growing up. Back on the Alliance homeworld, there seemed to always be some moron going slow in passing lanes or swerving across traffic to get to their exit. Here on Earth, it all looked coordinated to the point that it wasn't even individuals driving.

Shepard chose to ignore that in favor of looking at the crowds outside as the vehicle pulled off the main road and up to a large structure. From the look of it, Jane guessed that the location served as a station for a fixed transport system.

This was proven correct as she noticed the signs advertising departure and arrival times for a variety of destinations. As the convoy came to a stop, the various groups that made up the Citadel delegation followed the coordinator that had greeted them on their arrival last night. Upon entering, everyone's attention immediately turned to the large pit before them.

From their vantage point at the edge, it was possible to look all the way down to the bottom where yet another crowd of humans was gathered. Levels above that varied greatly, with some empty and others densely packed as transports were loaded and unloaded.

With all the activity around them, and thus threats to look out for on the part of the security team, it seemed like only a short time later that they were on one of the lower platforms. Across the pit, Shepard could see another set of doors for boarding.

Since they were waiting for their transportation to arrive, Jane took the chance to glance through the doors into the space beyond. Unsurprisingly, a tunnel stretched out of sight to both sides. What was odd were the rails set into concrete anchors on the floor of the passage, making it clear that this was an underground railway. If they were taking it to a different continent, however, then it was much larger than the Alliance equivalent which merely connected the larger cities with surface rails. Of course, it was possible that this was simply underneath the city and hit the surface when possible.

When the trip coordinator wandered close, Jane took the chance to ask, "Why did you build your rail stations underground? Seems like a lot of work for something that could go on the surface and get a much better view."

"It was decided during the Reconstruction following the War," she began. "When the Covenant attacked Earth, the UNSC lost its ability to evacuate civilians and transport troops due to the fighting in orbit. Unluckily, all the ground routes were heavily damaged as well, making it difficult to enter or leave areas. To fix that, this subway system was built to allow a protected route for people to evacuate in case of emergencies. Since there are multiple routes, a single strike can't take down the entire system, and it provides a lot more protection than trying to fly out through anti-aircraft fire," the coordinator told them.

Shepard accepted the information with a quick thanks as she let the woman get back to checking in with the various groups. As she scanned the area again, Jane caught the eye of Garrus, getting a nod of acknowledgment from the Turian Spectre. She returned the silent motion, unable to talk due to the distance between them.

It wasn't a long wait before a train went whipping by in the tube. After a couple seconds, it began to slow, eventually stopping with a set of doors aligned to those on the platform. Boarding was quick and easy, and unlike the ground cars from before, multiple species could easily fit into a carriage.

A few minutes passed after everyone was on board before they began to move. Almost immediately it was clear that human trains were far faster than their cars as the train began to accelerate. Within seconds the walls of the underground passage were merely a blur, flashing by faster than the eye could follow.

Unwilling to give herself a headache watching the spectacle, Shepard waited until she was relieved from her duties by Vidinos before beginning to explore the train further. Aside from the cars that the delegation had originally boarded, it seemed like this specific train was for comfortable transport. Beds, a dining area, and other such amenities were all present, enough for someone to live comfortably even when travelling.

After asking a guide about their travel time and learning that they had about eight hours before arriving, Jane took the chance to slip onto one of the beds for the night. Over the next several hours she woke up multiple times as people came and went into the room, allowing her to notice others who had followed her plan and were resting.

By the time they were drawing close to finally meeting with the UEG diplomats, the Commander was once again standing beside the Alliance diplomat as he prepared for the day ahead. Most of that simply consisted of talking to the other political representatives of the Citadel, leaving Shepard to her boredom.

The deceleration was apparent to Shepard since she was standing still, though it didn't seem like the members of the delegation noticed since they were busy talking. What eventually caught their attention were the flashes of light as the train passed through a few terminals without stopping. When the transport did come to a stop, the delegation was already prepared to exit.

From there it was another trek through the station out to more waiting vehicles. Unluckily, the roof that covered the entrance prevented any of the party from being able to see the city around them. Shepard tried to get a view out of the car, but was unable to do so subtly, leaving her only view that of the bases of the large human buildings.

It was only when they arrived at their final destination that any of the delegation could get a good view of the city. Immediately apparent was that it was much larger than their previous city they had been in, both in size and height. In a simple glance Shepard could see that they were in some type of government sector, at least judging by the number of closely grouped structures with ornamental features. Beyond that, she didn't know as there was too little time to view it before they were moving once again.

From there, the Citadel delegation followed the coordinator into the nearest building. Several corridors later and they were presented with a seemingly innocuous door. Recognizing their roles, the Citadel representatives fell in behind Ambassador Benezia, with the guards at the back and out of the way. Much to Shepard's surprise, it didn't look like the escort was going to be left outside, though whether that was good or not remained to be seen.

A few seconds passed before the doors opened, allowing the Citadel visitors to enter into the chamber beyond.

* * *

 **Searching "Orbital Elevator" in Google yielded 26,900,000 results, and that's with the Internet being less than 30 years old. Give it 500 years, along with the increased connectivity and population of Halo, and billions of results isn't unthinkable.**

 **I know that the Portal opening in Halo 3 was quite violent considering that it threw back the Chief and shifted the trajectory of several Paris-class frigates. I am guessing that that was due to Truth and the Covenant's ignorance on Forerunner technology, as the UNSC opened the Portal themselves in 2555 in the book** _ **Hunters in the Dark**_ **.**

 **May have mentioned this in an earlier chapter, don't remember, but the Forerunners powered their junk with 'Vacuum Energy'. That deals with Quantum Physics, which while** _ **really**_ **interesting, isn't a very well-researched field. I'm not even going to try to figure out how this would work, rather I'll blindly follow canon.**

 **The the wiki says that the Museum of Humanity began construction in 2607. After watching the 'Believe' ads myself, I noted that they say that the Monument to S-117 was begun in 2607 and finished in 2610 but they do NOT say when the Museum itself began construction. Thus, I have set the construction to have already taken place, as you all obviously just read. Also, the exact location of the Museum is unknown as far as I could tell, so just went with what seemed cool given its purpose.**

 **Current High-Speed Rail record is 574 km/h. To travel from New Mombasa to Sydney by the route I was looking at, it's about 20,000 kilometers. With an eight hour trip as I stated, that's about 2,500 km/h. China currently has a prototype with a high theoretical limit of 1,800 km/h right now. Considering that the UEG seems to have a solid grasp on magnetic technologies, to the point that ODP's fire a 3,000 metric ton slug at 12,000 km/s, I can take 2,500 as an acceptably feasible number.**

 **Apologies once again for the lateness.**

 _-evevee_


	18. Wiles of Bureaucracy

Disclaimer: I own no franchise mentioned in this work. Halo belongs to 343, Mass Effect to Bioware.

 **Hey, hey, look who got their shit together and actually got out a chapter! Only thing I can do is apologize for the long wait and tell you that I will try to avoid such nuisances in the future.**

 **Several people have expressed concern about the story being abandoned, so will address that directly: If I, for some reason, decide to discontinue the story, I will post that in the summary, on my profile, and in a final chapter posting. Obviously that does not include situations where I would be unable to post, such as incapacitation or death, but nothing I can do for those instances.**

 **To be clear, I am NOT abandoning the story. Just got irritatingly busy for a while.**

 **Several people have asked where the Monument to S-117 was. To answer, it was built from 2607 to 2610. The current story time is 2589. It wasn't shown because it hasn't yet been built. Hope that helps clear that up.**

 **I have moved Review Responses to the bottom of the chapter since I will be covering both last chapter, those I missed before that, and all the ones I got during this long break.**

 **These should be the last in-depth political talks for a while. Hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

 **17th Day of 4th Month, 2459/May 17, 2589/May 17, 2180**

 **UEG Grand Chamber**

 **Sydney, Australia, Earth**

As the foreigners made their way onto the floor, the small conversations between various groups began to die down, leaving only the heavy silence of anticipation. Soft rustling from several hundred beings gathered in a single room could still be heard, but that was easily drowned out by the footsteps of the Citadel Delegation.

Due to the important nature of meeting with a foreign galactic power, there had been no arguments against holding a joint meeting with the UEG Senate, President, and UNSC leadership. As with all such meetings, the obvious location to host the gathering was the Senate Chamber of the Congressional Plaza. After this first introduction, the various committees, officials, and other groups that would be handling different pieces of the negotiations with the Citadel would all meet with the Ambassador separately.

From the reactions of the Citadel Delegation, it was clear to everyone in the Chamber that this was not what had been expected. Even the humans from the Systems Alliance seemed surprised, though that was to be expected since their Parliament did not play host to almost a thousand representatives from as many colonies. Of the few that managed to keep their thoughts hidden, the Asari Ambassador leading the party did the best as she continued forward, confident in her stride and posture.

It was this being that drew the attention of the politicians as they recognized the Ambassador that they would be dealing with in the coming months. Several glances were directed to the other species in the Delegation, but it was more out of curiosity than any true interest. The main interaction with the Council would be through their ambassador, and thus the Asari garnered the most attention.

As the only species in the Wardens that had a firmly established bureaucratic system following the collapse of the Covenant, the UEG was uniquely situated to accept independent relations from the Citadel. This was precluded by the fact that there was no possibility of adherence to any of the Council's Treaties by UNSC forces. Any agreement to limit Artificial Intelligences or the number of vessels in the UNSC Fleet would be political suicide in the current Post-War climate.

While it was easy for the UEG Department of State and Senate to reject such measures in principle, the official conveyance of that denial to the Citadel Council only added to the difficulty of the coming talks. Since that information had already been relayed to the Council by Ambassador Mousset it was not necessary to discuss it with the Asari on the floor, though the more seasoned politicians would not discount the possibility of the topic being raised in more serious negotiations. As such, UEG officials had the unenviable job of trying to establish civilian agreements with the Ambassador while their UNSC counterparts met with the Citadel military officers to discuss the proposed joint operation deployments.

As it stood, the list of accords that needed to be established already involved significant involvement from the UNSC, UEG, and various private enterprises. There was no doubt that this was to be the first of many more meetings and thus little time was wasted on platitudes as Senate Majority Leader Ellis Gass was given the floor.

"On behalf of the United Earth Government and all its citizens, I want to welcome the Citadel Delegation to Earth, the homeworld of Humanity," Gass began. "While our Ambassador to the Citadel Council has negotiated on behalf of all members of the Wardens of the Mantle, our focus here is to discuss possible agreements solely between the Council and UEG. Before we begin, however, there is one ceremony that typically proceeds any formal talks."

The human turned her attention towards the Asari specifically and stated, "Ambassador Benezia, you are formally recognized as the representative of the Citadel Council to the United Earth Government for as long as your state grants you that position. By our laws, you are authorized to speak on the Council's behalf in negotiations, to advocate for their interests, and represent all citizens from Citadel space which enter UEG jurisdiction. You will be granted diplomatic immunity to perform your duties along with access to communications to talk with the Council. Is there anything you wish to add?"

"No, that is sufficient," the Asari Matriarch replied.

"Excellent. After our discussions today you and your delegation will be directed to an embassy prepared for your arrival," Ellis said. Benezia gave no argument to that, allowing the human to continue, "Are you open to discussing the general requests of the Council on the floor today, Ambassador?"

Benezia smiled slightly and responded, "I am."

"Good to hear. Let us begin by bringing up the possibility of Extranet access for the UEG and, in the future, the other species of the Wardens. I know that this was mentioned in passing among a myriad of other things during First Contact and that the Council has talked with Ambassador Mousset about the topic further, but the UEG Ambassador has limited knowledge of the subject. With your delegation now present, we have brought in an expert on the subject to answer questions and explain the challenges behind connecting our networks. Dr. Endesha, you may have the floor."

With that, a woman rose from off to the side of the main body of politicians and made her way towards the front of the room. Based on her experience with the humans of the Systems Alliance, Benezia guessed that the person was around their mid-fifties, though it could be hard to tell due to the diversity of the species.

Any further speculation by the Matriarch was halted as the doctor began speaking, "Hello, my name is Dr. Sadie Endesha, I'll be working as a consultant for yourselves and the UEG Senate to clarify and solve difficulties with connecting Human networks to your, er, 'Extranet'. I've worked extensively with the Huragok in altering old Covenant communications systems to talk with UEG protocols, though I am hopeful that the Citadel's networks are much more friendly towards different systems. All those technical details can wait until later, however. For now, are there any questions you have that I can perhaps answer?"

"What do humans use your version of the Extranet for?" Benezia asked after taking a second to adjust to the different accent.

Sadie raised one eyebrow slightly in what the Matriarch recognized as a look of confusion as she responded, "Communication, though I think you're referring to something a bit more specific."

"Indeed," the Asari confirmed with a small smile. "All species have access to the Extranet, made possible by the Mass Relays, but each one uses it differently. The Asari utilize chat rooms for political and social debate, open for all to participate and engage in. Salarians publish scientific research and the Volus use it to communicate between their banking clans. Citizens of the Systems Alliance have used their connection to investigate the galaxy, exploring the intricacies of galactic society. Is the same true for the UEG?"

"I'm sure that many people would use it for exactly that reason," Dr. Endesha answered confidently after processing Benezia's clarification. "As for Humanity as a whole, our use of communication networks is far more broad. Much like yourselves, the Huragok communicate for a specific purpose, sharing improvements to pieces of technology in their case. Some other former Covenant species are learning how to use social networks in a more diverse manner as well, though the stifling influence of thousands of years of strict religious doctrine against technology does not fall easily. Humans, however, are different."

Sadie glanced to the humans in the Citadel Delegation before returning her attention to the Ambassador as she continued, "Our use of services such as Waypoint, ChatterNet, and a variety of others is far more complex than any one purpose. There are chat forums and scientific journals and all of that general information, but it goes far, far deeper than that. Not every piece of information on every network is accessible to every person, but the combination of systems still contains the sum of Human knowledge. It's a much more complex system than what information I know about your Extranet, but its use is much more varied. Does that answer your question?"

"Well enough for the moment. One of the major concerns that the Council has is how much traffic a connection to the Wardens would create. Comm Buoys may be small Mass Relays, but they still have limits for the number of users. From what you describe, allowing human citizens access to the Extranet would validate these concerns," Benezia stated carefully.

"Limiting the amount of data is an issue that we've run into with old Covvie systems as well. Part of solving that problem lies in how we connect to the Extranet. I know one of the proposed solutions was using the connection that has already been established with the Systems Alliance. While certainly possible, it would drastically slow down service for those who already use it," Sadie explained.

The Asari Matriarch nodded and inquired, "What about a direct connection?"

Dr. Endesha grimaced slightly as she answered, "Establishing a line of communication using your Mass Relays and Comm Buoys would be prohibitively expensive from what I was told by Ambassador Mousset. Even more importantly, the UNSC doesn't have the forces to defend such a tenuous connection over that long of a distance."

"Your government would need to establish communications using their own methods to Citadel territory then?" Benezia questioned, though her tone made it obvious that it was merely for confirmation and not out of confusion.

"Yes, and that's where the technical details become important. Specifically, where to place such a hub, how to actually connect it, translating the information from one format to another, and all the complications that come with that."

Benezia kept her expression carefully pleasant as she responded, "I will let the Council know about your requirements so that they may look into securing a location for a connection. We do have several technical experts with us, but let us leave those specific discussions for a later date."

"I look forward to meeting with them. Ambassador," Sadie said, nodding to the Asari respectfully before making her way back to the side of the room. Several members of the Citadel Delegation seemed slightly put off by the quick interaction, which made sense if they were used to the drawn out debates of the Citadel Council.

Disregarding that, Ellis once more began speaking, "Thank you for your commitment, Dr. Endesha. For the moment, I would draw our attention to the matter of immigration. Much like connecting our communications, there has been a significant amount of attention directed towards the number of citizens from other species in the Wardens entering UEG space. I know that members of the Citadel have open borders for the most part, and I am glad to say that the UEG supports that policy."

"The Council will be pleased to hear that news," Benezia stated with a smile.

"I am sure they will," Ellis replied. "There are several legal considerations that I would discuss with you now, however, if you are amiable to that."

The Asari Matriarch inclined her head and responded, "I will listen to any issues you may present."

Several papers were shuffled around on the lectern in front of the human before she continued, "Nothing far fetched, merely straightening out the legal standing of any Citadel citizens that may somehow make their way into UEG territory. As you may be aware, any being within the UEG is subject to our laws and will be tried in our courts for any violation, but they are also afforded all rights due any non-citizen. Full legal documentation, including the rights of Citadel citizens, will be provided to the Citadel's Embassy."

"It seems that that is a common practice, as it is not too different from the laws governing all species of the Citadel Council," Ambassador Benezia stated. "From my introduction to the UEG Senate, I gather that any citizen of the Citadel accused of a crime may seek legal help from the Citadel's Embassy?"

Ellis glanced up from her papers and answered, "That is correct. All defendants have a right to legal representation, a right which can be met by either attorneys provided by the UEG or by your Embassy."

"What of beings from Citadel space that are not members of the Council?" the Matriarch inquired.

"As in what will their status be?" the human asked. At the affirmative response, Ellis explained, "The Citadel will not be held accountable for their actions. They will receive the same treatment as citizens of the Citadel within UEG space, with the difference being that you may argue on behalf of your citizens. I assume you ask because of the Quarian situation?"

Benezia replied, "It was a concern of the Council, especially after the Wardens of the Mantle expressed interest in treating with the Migrant Fleet."

"Right," Gass said after a short pause. "We do want to discuss the Quarians, but I'd like to finish talking about Citadel beings first. More specifically, the matter of permanent immigration from the Citadel as well as emigration of UEG citizens to Citadel space."

"Absolutely. There are several issues with that topic that the Council asked me to address specifically, but perhaps you will mention them before I may," the Asari stated.

Ellis shrugged slightly and responded, "I am fairly confident that there will be some overlap. One of the largest and most obvious points is transportation. Your form of travel using Mass Effect would be capable of reaching our location, but it'd be a long journey without the Relays. As we discussed when talking about the Extranet just now, establishing a line of your smaller versions would be too expensive and they would pass near Kig Yar territory. Rather than trying to organize protection for your craft as they pass through the outskirts of hostile space and other possible dangers, the UEG has a number of private businesses devoted to interstellar travel services."

"As you can imagine, they are very interested in participating in the inevitable market of tourism that will develop with the meeting of two starfaring civilizations. Of course, the problem is that these are human companies rather than a free market that the Citadel can participate in. To try and alleviate any issues, prospective companies have agreed to be regulated by Citadel terms when making flights to and from your civilization. Would that be acceptable?" the Majority Leader inquired.

Several seconds passed as Matriarch Benezia considered the suggestion before she answered, "From the secrecy displayed during First Contact, the Council was not expecting access to any of your worlds. I do not have instructions on what they want negotiated, but I will discuss it with them when I am able. If there are concerns about distance, however, would it be possible for Citadel parties to purchase ships capable of making the journey?"

"The Council has already experimented with slipspace technology under the direction of the Systems Alliance, correct?" Gass questioned.

Benezia nodded and replied, "Yes, but there were difficulties."

"Not surprising. Most scientists and engineers who were knowledgeable about slipspace technologies were withdrawn to the Inner Colonies to avoid the Covenant. Very few Outer Colonies had the infrastructure to support those particular fields," Ellis explained. "Unluckily, trade of slipspace drives will not be conducted by the UEG due to security concerns. From the information Ambassador Mousset has obtained from your, uh, Codex, I think it's called, there are areas in your galaxy that face major issues with piracy. The possibility of a slipspace drive being stolen and used by a criminal group with absolutely no idea of what they were doing isn't something we can risk."

"I have little doubt that the Council could easily deal with an unarmed civilian ship, even if it did not use Mass Effect," Benezia argued.

A slightly incredulous stare was directed at the Asari as the Majority Leader countered, "You've already lost ships to faulty slipspace drives in your earlier experiments. Would Citadel companies be willing to run that risk?"

"With your reliably tested drives, yes. How could such ships, even in the hands of hostiles, be a threat to your heavily armored warships? It seems like a manufactured threat," the Matriarch stated with a slightly confused tone.

Ellis Gass sighed and began to explain, "Your ignorance, not personally but rather as a civilization, is the crux of this issue, Ambassador. What you must understand is that under the laws of the United Earth Government, and the Wardens of the Mantle for that matter, slipspace drives are considered Weapons of Mass Destruction."

It wasn't hard to see that this threw off many members of the Citadel Delegation as even the Asari Matriarch leading them looked shocked. After a short moment to process the new information, she glanced back to the humans from the Systems Alliance for a second and stated, "We were unaware that slipspace drives could be utilized as weapons. Of course, they are not categorized as such due to the capabilities of the ships they are on, correct?"

"Correct, the vessels themselves have nothing to do with the classification. It is the destructive potential of the device itself that is considered. The proper handling and accounting of slipspace drives is well established in our laws, and it is very clear that drives cannot be traded or otherwise distributed to unauthorized parties," Ellis explained.

Before Benezia could argue, Gass continued, "Yes, we could train engineers from the Citadel to adhere to our procedures. It would take years, but it could be done. With the heavy civilian usage, they are not simple rules either, adding yet more delay to allowing trade of slipspace technologies. The problem is that any slipspace-capable ships we exchanged would be beholden to your laws, not ours, and the Citadel has no policies on slipspace drives because you've never had them. "

"That is true," the Matriarch admitted after several seconds of thought. "I will discuss the situation as it is with the Council to see what may be done to solve it. I do believe that you are correct, however, in your assessment of the time it will take. Several members of the Council will not appreciate such limitations being pushed by a foreign power."

"If it prevents disaster, then so be it," the Majority Leader replied.

Benezia nodded in understanding at that before suggesting, "Since we have already drifted onto the topic, I would like to talk about possible terms of trade in more detail. Many merchants are eager to begin marketing goods from the Wardens and the Council has no reason to deny them. At First Contact it was mentioned that a number of products and items would not be exchanged, with a more detailed list being provided later. It was also mentioned that independent dealings, such as ours, could include stricter terms. Do you have a summary of what those new conditions may be?"

"I do, actually," Ellis responded. "The UEG will adhere to all the limits set out by the Wardens to the Citadel council, which shouldn't be surprising. That immediately excludes military equipment from any trade, along with items classified as WMDs. What changes in the dealings between the Citadel and UEG specifically are the regulations surrounding controlled substances. Specifics will be made available when we touch on the subject in more detail, but that is what to generally expect."

"Your laws do not allow for the exchange of weapons?" the Asari asked with slight confusion. "From my experience with the Systems Alliance, civilian ownership of weapons is widespread. After your experience with the Covenant War, I would think the same would be true in the UEG."

Gass turned her head to the side slightly as she listened before explaining, "Military equipment by UEG law is material for the sole use of the UNSC and planetary CMA divisions. What this means is that if a Citadel business were to negotiate a deal with, say, Misriah Armory for a shipment of handguns or some other small arms, there wouldn't be much fuss. If, instead, this company tried to buy light machine guns, our laws would forbid the transaction from being carried out."

"Interesting difference, and I assume that the criteria for which weapons are restricted will be covered in more detail," Benezia said, receiving the expected affirmative answer in response. "Obviously the Council is interested in hearing about more than just what cannot be traded, however. What are the products that could be freely exchanged?"

Several pages were discarded to the desk beside the human before she answered, "Any product that citizens of the UEG have access to is available. From the information we received from Ambassador Mousset, I know that some of those items will be considered illegal by the Citadel's laws. Classification of individual items will need to be performed by someone authorized by the Council as there are no experts on Citadel law within the UEG as of now. Even so, if the Council wishes to make exceptions to formalize mercantile accords, then that is their prerogative."

"Aside from that, all technologies designed for medical uses are available to any interested parties, once again limited by the laws set by the Council. I would imagine that several of these might have already been introduced by the Systems Alliance, though I don't know for sure. Related to that, however, is the topic of augmentation technologies. Humanity has developed a number of procedures designed to enhance the lives of citizens and rehabilitate those caught in accidents. The issue that I see is how the Council wishes to deal with the equipment we use for those operations. I know that your laws governing this field are quite stringent, so I understand that you will need to speak to the Council before giving anything close to a solid answer."

"That is true, though I must admit that I am slightly surprised to hear that augmentations are so widespread. Medical augmentations to fix maladies are allowed under Citadel laws, but enhancement programs are strictly limited," the Ambassador stated candidly.

A small sigh came from the human as she countered, "Humanity has fought wars since the beginning of civilization, leaving an untold number of injured soldiers and civilians behind with life-altering injuries. Whatever ethical issues the Council may have with it, there is no mistaking the fact that innovations in the medical field have improved the quality of life for those affected by conflict. After the horrendous cost of the war against the Covenant, even more focus has been put into this area. Whether the Citadel takes advantage of our offer to share that with you is up to the Council."

"Of course, I was not trying to argue against its use in your society but merely highlighting the issue of its use in ours. I did not see many medical facilities in the Systems Alliance during my time as an Ambassador on their capital world, so I must admit to being ignorant as to the extent of human medical advances," Benezia told the UEG official.

"Understood. Many human lives were saved using procedures that would be considered illegal by the Council, so I wished to express its significance," Ellis explained. "As for our medical capabilities, at this time they are limited not by our technical knowledge but rather the human body itself. We can replace severed limbs with cloned equivalents, fix birth defects, solve some of the most challenging diseases encountered in biomes throughout the UEG. What is even more notable, however, is that the effects that have become so widely accepted that many people don't even think about them anymore."

"For example, one of the most prominent differences between the species that make up the Citadel Council is the lifespan of each. Salarians live intensely for a short time while Asari can live for close to a millenium, facts which you obviously know far better than any human. What you must understand about human society is that such concerns fell away several centuries ago, before we left our own solar system even," Gass said softly.

Her words had an obvious effect on the members of delegation as looks passed between them. Before any of them could speak, the Senate Majority Leader finished her explanation," Our technology is at a different place than yours because our ethics apparently took a different turn. There are many philosophical experts eager to explore why that is, but for the purposes of establishing any trade agreements it is something that must be kept in mind."

"How is this accomplished?" Ambassador T'soni questioned eventually.

"The technical details are beyond me, though you should be able to find the particulars on Waypoint. As for the technology itself, it is widely known as Crisper, a fudged acronym for the actual abbreviation of CRISPR which itself stands for the scientific name of the process. It's basically a method for editing genes which could conceivably be adapted to other physiologies. Beyond that, I don't know," Ellis answered.

Benezia frowned slightly and said, "Genetic modification is extremely limited, so I do not know how well suited members of the Citadel are to using such procedures. It would be entirely likely that the stigma against gene-mods would kill any possible commercial ventures that worked within our existing laws."

"That seems to be the case with many things," Gass responded. "We may continue our discussion on that in greater depth once the Council has decided how they would like to handle those products. If you have any questions that need to be answered, experts can be made available to help."

After the Asari Ambassador had given her thanks, the human resumed speaking, "A topic that might be much easier to discuss would be the exchange of raw materials. As far as I am aware, there are few regulations in Citadel laws regarding resources beyond Mass Effect. While the Systems Alliance may have introduced the Citadel to Titanium-A, there are many other unique elements that might interest Citadel businesses."

"Absolutely," Benezia confirmed calmly. "The Systems Alliance has been quite forthcoming in sharing many such things, but supply has become a major problem. Most notable is the keen interest that companies have in the possible applications of the the material you call Titanium-A. Much of that business has been limited by the small amount actually in circulation. From the impressive size of your vessels, this does not seem to be an issue for the UEG."

The Majority Leader replied, "That is correct, it is considered a common element for us. I do want to point out, however, that it will likely only be useful to you in industrial fields such as construction and fabrication. As much as a third of the mass of an armored ship is Titanium-A, making it difficult to use with you FTL drives. There aren't any notable regulations around trading it, though, something which is true for many of our raw materials."

"Many does not imply all."

"True, but the restricted materials are unlikely to interest Citadel species," Ellis argued. "The list of limited elements consists of items that could be weaponized, such as highly radioactive materials."

Realization dawned in the Asari's eyes as she retorted, "The restriction of those materials is not an issue at all. Nuclear weapons are frowned upon after their use during the Krogan Rebellions, and while several militaries do keep stockpiles, they are not actively deployed. There are no nuclear reactors outside of research facilities that I know of, so such resources are hardly in high demand."

"Excellent, we may begin negotiations on specific quantity exchanges whenever you would like then, Ambassador."

"Most deals will be handled by either separate governments or specific companies, but I would be willing to act as an intermediary in any of those discussions if necessary. I assume that transport would be provide by your suppliers?" the Asari inquired.

Gass nodded and responded, "For the same reasons as before."

"Wonderful, I will alert the relevant parties to begin the exchange of specific terms. On the note of resource availability, however, I would like to turn our attention to the issue presented by the Quarians," Benezia suggested.

"Understood, they do seem to be a major concern for the Council," Ellis observed.

The Matriarch grimaced ever so slightly as she explained, "Their creation of the Geth led to Morning War and could have very well led to a galactic war on the scale of the Krogan Rebellions. They currently survive by harvesting resources system by system, often infringing on existing rights laid out when the area was originally explored. As much as the Council may be confused about the Wardens of the Mantle offering to accept them, they won't argue against it."

"I don't see how it can be confusing. Without help, they face the very real threat of going completely extinct. That's not acceptable to us, be that Humanity or the Wardens, for a great many reasons. Ultimately, we have the capability to settle the Quarians within our territory and we're willing to do so to keep them from extinction. We have not yet contacted them, but with members of their species spread throughout your galaxy, I'm sure the news of our offer during First Contact has reached them. All that we need from the Council is permission to send a diplomatic vessel to meet with them and then use of your Relay system to transport their fleet out of your space," the Majority Leader outlined.

"Arrangements will be made to allow you to travel through Citadel space to meet with the Migrant Fleet. Once the Council informs me of their location and provides credentials for your ship, I will relay to you. It is likely that a Citadel escort will be present up until they exit our territory in your galaxy. I assume that once they reach that point, you will take over their transport?" the Ambassador questioned.

Gass confirmed that as she replied, "Again, for the same reasons as before. Whether the Quarians wish to try and guide their entire fleet to a new world or not is up to them, but we will find a system where they may begin to rebuild."

"Quarians are extremely attached to their ships," Benezia warned. "Without them, they would have all died to the Geth assault. I very much doubt that they will give any consideration to your proposal if the cost is their Fleet. More importantly, they will ask for your help in taking their homeworld back from the Geth. The Council informs you that it will not allow that."

It took several seconds before Ellis carefully said, "You seem quite confident in that assumption."

"I was present when the Quarians met with the Citadel Council to request aid in defeating the Geth during the Morning War. I was in the Council Chambers when their Embassy on the Citadel was rejected. Both times they were completely focused on reclaiming Rannoch, not settling on a new world," the Asari Matriarch explained.

"And the Council's refusal to allow us to intervene on Rannoch?"

Ambassador T'soni frowned slightly and answered, "It would require fleets to mount an assault on the Geth, fleets which would need to pass through the territory of Citadel members. The Geth are rogue Artificial Intelligence, meaning that their cyber warfare capabilities are largely unknown. If they were able to take control of your ships, they could be used to attack Citadel worlds. Even if that did not happen, it still might provoke them to emerge from the Perseus Veil."

"I can understand that concern. If the Quarians absolutely insist on retaking their homeworld, then we will not support them in the endeavor. The Wardens of the Mantle do not have the presence in your galaxy to ensure success in an assault of that scale, nor do we have any hostility towards the Geth," Ellis responded. "Our mission is diplomatic, regardless of what the Migrant Fleet decides. If they deny our offer of a new world, then we shall leave them until later."

"The Geth have destroyed every Council vessel to enter the Veil since the Morning War. I can assure you that they are hostile, regardless of your species," Benezia said confidently.

Gass gave a small shrug and countered, "They have not taken hostile against the UEG or any other members of the Wardens and thus will be treated as a neutral party for the time being. By the Council's wishes, we will refrain from sending any vessels into the Veil unless contacted by the Geth. Our negotiations with the Quarians, however, will proceed as planned once the Council allows our diplomats to travel to the Migrant Fleet."

"I will make preparations for that," the Asari reassured. "With that addressed, however, I would like to discuss the proposal from the Wardens to conduct joint operations with Citadel forces. I know that there is a meeting already arranged for some members of my delegation who are also to be assigned to a joint ground team, but there are several diplomatic hurdles that the Council would like addressed."

"First among these is the issue of command. For members of the Citadel Council, combining fleets in the manner proposed is usually only done among close allies to create unit cohesion in case of an attack. Unluckily, the Wardens of the Mantle and the Citadel Council are not close allies. We do not know how your military operates, nor do you have any experience with our own. Since this idea was proposed by the Wardens, the Council is curious if there is already a solution in place for your ranks."

Ellis nodded thoughtfully as she answered, "Currently, the commander of a joint fleet outside of Warden Territory is assigned before they deploy. For joint fleets in UEG space, a human is the commander of the force, while a Sangheili Fleetmaster takes control in their territory, and so on. We can address this in an official capacity with military representatives from your delegation, but I think that strategy would be a good point to start from."

"That suggestion has merit, but it does bring up the issue of unlawful orders. Several Citadel Treaties put clear restrictions in place for military operations, and even if our ships are within your territory, they are still bound by those laws. I am fairly confident in the assumption that a similar situation exists with your forces, correct?" Benezia asked.

"Many members of the Wardens do not have well defined Laws of War due to their involvement with the Covenant," Gass stated. "Some progress has been made, but most of our focus has been on creating independent functioning societies. Without consulting UNSC leadership I can't say how such situations are handled with regards to disciplinary action, but I do know that rejecting orders that would be unlawful to your people would not be cause for a diplomatic incident."

Before the Matriarch could reply, Ellis continued, "I do want to make clear, however, that these combined fleets would not be operating within space held by members of the Wardens. There are some policing activities within our borders, but the UEG as a society tends to look down upon the military acting as law enforcement. While internal issues are handled by Colonial Administration for the most part, the UNSC protects us from foreign threats. Any operations with Citadel forces would be against outside threats, mostly some few remaining Covenant remnants or something else with low risk."

"Once again, however, we return to the issue of how your ships would get to us. I know that the offer was made during first Contact to allow your vessels to fight against the Kig-Yar Menace, and while that is open, it might not be the most feasible option. Between your outposts in this galaxy and even the furthest Warden influence, there is a whole lot of nothing, at least as we know it. The Council has explored with tendrils, reaching a respectable ways in the galaxy but not extensively surveying all the territory on the way. Admittedly, the Wardens of the Mantle have not seriously explored outside of the Orion Arm either. Even the Covenant, with all its fleets, never devoted its efforts to exploration for the simple reason that they didn't have to. Forerunner Luminaries guided them and everything else was bypassed through Slipspace," the Majority Leader explained.

"If they only went to Forerunner sites, how did the Covenant ever discover new species?" Benezia questioned.

Ellis gave a huff and answered, "They were found by other species for the most part. Any other meetings were brought about in their pursuit of Forerunner ruins. For example, Humanity met the Covenant when a Kig-Yar ship raided a human vessel that had dropped out of slipspace due to issues with its drive."

"The large device that we saw when we first landed was made by the Forerunners, correct?" the Asari pushed.

A smile grew onto the human's face as she replied, "Indeed, good connection. How did we avoid detection if we had such a prominent structure on our homeworld? A question with an unsatisfying answer. Quite simply, all that saved Earth from immediate discovery was luck."

"Really?" Benezia said skeptically.

"You'd be surprised by how often that answer is used to describe events during the War," Ellis warned with slight melancholy. "What you have to understand is that Forerunner technology was held as sacred to the Covenant, and thus the only species allowed to deal with it were the San'Shyuum, or Prophets as they were so aptly named. For the moment, the exact technical details of how and why the Covenant did not find Humanity sooner are beyond unknown to me."

"What we do know is that the Portal near New Mombasa is special among the objects left by the Forerunners. It isn't detectable on regular Luminaries, and it was only by obtaining coordinates to Earth from a specific Forerunner facility elsewhere that the Covenant found Earth. In fact, the original force that arrived in our system didn't even know that it was our homeworld. For whatever reason, the Covenant Luminaries did not mark human locations unless if they were extremely close, thus allowing the UEG to slip under the radar for thousands of years," Gass finished.

One of the Salarians in the delegation behind the Ambassador muttered something to the Asari, leading her to inquire, "Is that the only one of these artifacts within your territory? Considering how large the Covenant was to include multiple species, it seems odd that they could discover so many relics while you only have one."

The Majority Leader nodded slightly and agreed, "It is curious, isn't it? The number of Forerunner objects in the Orion Arm is unusually high, and not only that but the prominence of those structures is obvious. They aren't are small outposts but large-scale astroengineering projects. For all that activity, however, Earth and the immediate surrounding area is largely untouched, with the few ruins nearby being deliberately hidden."

"It's fairly obvious that there is some sort of history between the Forerunners and Humanity," Gass said bluntly. "Our status as Reclaimers leads to no other conclusion, but the historical record on Earth points to Humanity being primitive tribes far before the cutoff date of 100,000 years. We're still investigating all of that ourselves, and I can assure you that we won't rest until an answer is found. For now, however, the UEG at least is still dealing with the after-effects of a devastating Interstellar war, the introduction to alien life, and the realization that, for some reason, an ancient galactic power decided to grant the Mantle of Responsibility for all life in the galaxy to Humanity. As flexible and adaptable as humans may be, even our civilization needs time to process the implications of that. For the moment, I cannot answer your questions for the simple reason that I do not know the answers myself."

After giving the Citadel Ambassador a moment to process that, Ellis changed the subject, "We've wandered off topic, however, so let's return to our original discussion. From the reports I've received from UNSC High Command regarding the creation of joint operations units with the Citadel, the actual action that these forces see will have to be in your galaxy. According to their analysis, your ships would be ill suited to fight against the enemies of the Wardens."

"I can assure you that vessels of the Citadel Council are outfitted with the best Eezo cores and kinetic barriers available. Our forces have experience dealing with pirates and other such criminals, which is what seems to be one of the main issues confronting the Wardens of the Mantle," Benezia protested.

"You have experience fighting against those problems in your galaxy," the Senate Leader countered. "That is a completely different matter from fighting forces in ours. It is the same principle of protecting merchant services, but on a different scale. I have the intelligence reports in front of me," Ellis stated, holding up a thick sheaf of paper. "To summarize the plethora of information here, what Citadel forces fight against are usually small groups of older ships, correct?"

"Yes, but-"

Ellis quickly cut the Ambassador off, "But nothing. I apologize for interrupting, but the pirate forces that the Wardens deal with usually have fleets of former Covenant vessels. They may be badly maintained and lack coordination, but they are fully equipped military vessels. It isn't uncommon to find ships in those formations that are capable of orbital glassing. As the UNSC sees it, your ships lack the firepower to stand up in combat against the Kig-Yar menace. It isn't an insult, simply a different scale of combat that your forces do not employ."

Having dealt with the Systems Alliance Parliament in sometimes terse discussions, Matriarch T'soni easily brushed aside the interruption from the human before her as she asked, "Your military commanders truly believe that there is such a large difference?"

"I won't claim to know what UNSC HIGHCOM thinks, but the Office of Naval Intelligence analysts that put together this report after perusing your public Extranet during First Contact certainly think so. One of the key points that they draw attention to is something that you mentioned earlier, specifically the use of nuclear weapons. During the Covenant War, one of the few reliable ways the UNSC had of taking out a Covenant vessel was the use of nuclear warheads, deployed en mass. Rather than put your forces in the position where they would have to use such weapons, the recommendation was made to assemble joint forces closer to Council territory."

"Most members of the Citadel will not easily allow a foreign warship past their borders," Benezia warned.

"Absolutely understandable and reasonable," Gass reassured her. "Our recommendation is the have joint fleets operate closer to your territory, allowing your ships a place to easily resupply while ours do not have to worry about violating sovereign space. Obviously we do not have the full official analysis from the Council, but based off information from your Extranet, the Terminus would work well, as would the area around your outpost in this galaxy."

The Asari nodded thoughtfully and responded, "Specific details such as operating theater can be left to the actual military commanders, as they will know best where forces could be assigned. I think that that recommendation will go over well with the Council, though I cannot approve it without their assent. Before we move on from the subject, however, there is one last thing that I was told to address."

"Let me guess, the ground team?" Ellis said with a hint of amusement.

"Indeed," Benezia confirmed. "The Council has several updates to give regarding organizing such a unit. First, they have selected a vessel to which this combined team of soldiers could be assigned. It is a Systems Alliance vessel by the name of SSV Normandy with the designation of a stealth frigate. While it was developed with cooperation between the Alliance and Turian Hierarchy, it will be commanded by the Systems Alliance."

Gass glanced over to the UNSC officials in the room and replied, "Good to hear that the logistics are moving along well."

Matriarch T'soni smiled slightly at that as she agreed, "It will be a good display to those concerned about possible conflict between us. To add onto that, a crew has already been formed and multiple members of the Citadel have assigned forces to the ship. The Systems Alliance has also selected a mission for the Normandy that should allow the team time to adjust to their roles."

"I know that you stated that the ship was a stealth frigate, so I guess my first question is whether this mission can be disclosed publicly?" Ellis inquired.

"It can, there are no problems with that. I should clarify that this rundown will test the stealth systems but not make use of them in a truly dangerous situation. The task is a fairly simple one, an easy pickup off one of the colony worlds that the Alliance has established in the Citadel galaxy," the Asari explained.

The human seemed satisfied with that, allowing Benezia to continue, "While the Council discussed the matter with your Ambassador, there are still several questions that we have regarding the specific forces you will contribute to this effort."

"I'll answer as best I can, but the UNSC very well might have better explanations," Ellis responded.

Benezia tried to reassure the Senate Leader as she started, "They aren't questions of a military nature, I'll leave those for the meeting between your representatives and other members of my delegation who understand that side of things far better than myself. Instead, my questions are more focused on how you wish to deal with public relations between citizens of Citadel space and the soldiers your forces contribute to this joint unit. Many of the operations that could be assigned to the SSV Normandy will involve interaction with civilian elements."

"I can assure you that the forces assigned to work directly with your own are trained for civilian situations. As for public relations, that will be determined by the orders they receive from whatever commander they are assigned in this force," Ellis explained.

Slight surprise showed itself for a second on the Matriarch's face before she responded, "You will not be handling it closely then?"

"So long as there are no outstanding issues, it is not a concern. Most of the attention will be directed towards larger fleet actions rather than a single stealth ship in any case," Ellis said.

"That is probably true," Benezia granted. "I'm sure that the Systems Alliance will exercise due diligence in selecting missions for the team. Considering the role that this plays in displaying how the Citadel and Wardens may work together against common threats, the Council may also assign tasks to the Normandy."

When there was no argument from the human official, Ambassador T'soni inquired, "Have the Wardens of the Mantle decided on who they shall send to join this crew?"

"As you know from when you mentioned it earlier, there is a meeting between members of your delegation and the forces we have assigned to the Normandy. That obviously covers the UNSC's contribution to this effort, but several other members of the Wardens have also allocated their own soldiers. This was declared in passing during First Contact but fell to the wayside during the succeeding discussions. I don't know what those forces will be, so that is another question to direct towards the UNSC," Ellis replied.

"Understood. I look forward to discussing many of these matters with you in greater detail once I have contacted the Council. Unless if there is anything else to address, we shall head to the Citadel Embassy," the Ambassador stated.

The Majority Leader shook her head and responded, "Nothing that requires official attention. As the coordinator for your travel here might have informed you, there are a multitude of events that members of your party might be interested in attending. Inform us when you have settled in and are ready to continue negotiations in greater depth. There is no hurry, I understand that it may take some time to contact the Council and receive direction from them. Other than that, this session is now ended."

On that somewhat dry note, the mass of humans began to shift around the Citadel Delegation as they stood from their seats. Conversation almost immediately filled the room, echoing softly in the large space. As Ambassador Benezia began to talk with a group of human Senators, Shepard settled back slightly with the knowledge that it would still be some time before the delegation could leave for their temporary home on Earth.

* * *

 **17th Day of 5th Month, 2459/June 6, 2589/June 6, 2180**

 **UNSC Pelican**

 **Low Earth Orbit**

It had been just over three weeks since arriving on the true homeworld of Humanity and yet it was only now that Shepard had the chance to truly be in her element. As entertaining as it was to watch politicians endlessly debate subjects for hours at a time, which was to say not at all, there was little else to do when standing guard for the Ambassador. Luckily for the sanity of all involved, Captain Vidinos was able to see reason. After talking with Benezia directly, he quickly understood that the presence of soldiers during negotiations was more of a hindrance than anything else.

Thus, the Commander, along with every other military member of the delegation, were left to their own devices. With no training facility at the Embassy, for the obvious reason that it wasn't designed for that in any way, they spent most of their time wandering around the absolutely massive city they found themselves in. After an incident where one of the Salarians became lost in the canyon walls of glass and had to be tracked down, the unguided expeditions into human society came to a quick halt.

Jane had followed several of these ventures, learning about the culture of the United Earth Government and providing some insight as to the differences in the Systems Alliance. What she always kept in mind, however, was that this was merely one city out of hundreds on Earth alone. Considering the differences between the few dozen Systems Alliance worlds she had been to, the hundreds of planets under the UEG inevitably possessed radical differences in culture.

It was that mentality that prepared her to deal with the change from the civilian world of the UEG to the militaristic mannerisms of the UNSC. After only a few short weeks of waiting, the time for meeting the new human members of the Normandy crew was here. A quick gathering of those involved was held in the Embassy lobby, allowing Shepard to finally know for sure who she would be working with on her next assignment.

Commanding the ship would be Captain David Anderson, a respected Alliance officer who had had experience fighting against the Covenant before fleeing with the rest of the Exodus Fleet. From their interaction on the way out to Earth, Jane had already decided that she liked the Captain as both a competent commander and sociable person. The only other Systems Alliance human that came with the Citadel's Delegation was a Marine by the name of Kaidan Alenko. A short greeting was all the chance Shepard had to interact with him, however, so she reserved judgement until later.

While she was biologically Asari, Liara was technically part of the Systems Alliance entourage as well due to her position as an Alliance science officer. Apparently the Matriarchs on Thessia had had some issues in choosing a squad, at least that was what the Commander assumed based on the Justicar that had come instead. That was all that Shepard really knew about the stoic Asari, and that was only because she had asked one of the Spectres. If she was being honest with herself, Jane respected the Justicar for her impressive ability to simply fade into the background, unlike the other Matriarchs that Shepard knew.

Of course, the inclusion of the two Spectres in the crew seemed like a forgone conclusion to Shepard from the start, a hunch she had confirmed that on their trip to Earth. From talking to the two during their time on the human homeworld, she was confident that they were less interested in interfering on behalf of the Council and more so in observing the capabilities of the Wardens. Having never met a Spectre before, however, Jane couldn't decide if that was odd or simply something they were investigating on their own. Whether they were undertaking those observations for the Council or themselves was also unclear, though she never pressed the subject.

Finishing out the party of Citadel species that would be meeting with their UNSC counterparts was a Salarian as well as Drell, oddly enough. While her status as XO of the SSV Normandy would've had Jane working with Mordin Solus anyways due to his position as Chief Science Officer, Liara had insisted on talking with the Salarian more extensively since he would be her direct superior on board the ship. As for the Drell, he seemed to be quite apt at fading from view without a sound, much like the Justicar.

Currently, Shepard and every other member of the Normandy's crew from the Citadel Delegation were on board a 'Pelican' headed to meet with the UNSC soldiers. From the acceleration at the start of their journey as well as the subtle but noticeable feeling of artificial gravity that Shepard was experienced with, she predicted that they were in orbit of Earth. That made sense to her, especially with the UNSC's proclivity to building large objects. If their ships were as large as she predicted, then their stations would be absolutely massive.

This was confirmed as the windowless craft landed and opened the back hatch, allowing a view out into a hangar. While it was good to see that there was atmosphere, the thin blue barrier between them and the void outside was quite disconcerting. Jane was quickly distracted from that, however, as the group was directed out of the hangar and into a maze of hallways. Several surprisingly large thoroughfares later and they were led into an observation room.

As interesting as the view through the large window at the front of the room might have been, what drew the attention of everyone were the four massive figures already present. Jane immediately recognized the distinctive armor of the guards that had accompanied the UEG Ambassador during First Contact. Even though she had seen them before, the distance had belayed their true size. The Spectres seemed unsurprised at this, however, as they moved forward and drew the attention of the much larger beings.

For as large as they were, it was amazing how the only sound from all four of the armored humans were mere thuds from their footfalls. As the two groups reached each other, Shepard took the time to examine each soldier individually with the knowledge that they would soon be under her command on the Normandy.

The first of the UNSC soldiers to catch Shepard's attention was an obvious marksman, at least judging by the optical gear affixed multiple places on their grey armor. As for gender, Jane didn't have the slightest clue as the heavy plate armor concealed any indication. Such was the situation for every one of the humans, though.

Next to draw the Commander's gaze was the being clad in blue armor, probably a scout or pilot of some kind given the wide view allowed by the golden faceplate. After that was the one leading the group of four, probably a rifleman or close quarters specialist given the heavier armor, once again blue in color.

Lastly was the most recognizable figure, one that seemed to be prevalent in almost any mention of the Covenant War and the years following. While she hadn't realized it during First Contact, Jane and every other member of the delegation would've had to have been blind to miss the importance of this soldier in UEG culture. From wandering around a single city, they had seen multiple statues and other hard-to-miss reminders of the figure.

Green armor and a reflective golden visor gave away the Master Chief, a designation that was more a name than a rank at this point. Even though Jane had only spent a relatively short time browsing around on the Waypoint, it was this figure that was credited with winning the war, at least according to the plethora of forum boards and news articles she could find. Finding information on him was difficult not because it didn't exist but rather because there was so much to sort through and absolutely no way to tell what was real or fake in the time Shepard had.

Going over that information once more, the Commander realized just how little it actually told her about any of the soldiers that she'd be commanding. If the four armored figures were anywhere close to the same level as the apparent best of the UNSC, then she was looking at a Spec Ops team that could give Spectres a run for their money. At least, that was according to the Waypoint, any real evaluation would have to wait until combat.

Even so, Shepard's quick evaluation had told her something important, which was that the armor of these four was distinctly different from any other she had seen in use in the UNSC. Multiple pictures of other similar soldiers were easy to find, but all of it seemed different. It was small things that only a seasoned veteran would notice, but that was exactly what Jane was. While describing it sufficiently escaped her abilities, Shepard just felt that the armor these soldiers wore was _too_ sleek. Jane wanted to lay it on their obvious elite nature, but something about the plates and suit underneath was off.

Picking out the word that her instincts gave her, Shepard simply labelled the design as _inhuman._

Concealing her inner thoughts and shelving the consideration for the moment, the Commander turned her attention to the blue soldier in heavy CQC armor as he addressed the Citadel group.

* * *

 **I know it's a bit of a cliffhanger, but oh well. We're finally getting away from all the bureaucratic stuff and moving towards the obvious focus of both fandoms. Huzzah!**

 **Going to be a fun chapter next time.**

 **CRISPR gene editing technology is already in development today, so that isn't just me making up some random nonsense. As for the Crisper acronym, that's my doing since it seems obvious.**

 **Now for Review Responses! These will cover reviews from both Chapters 16 and 17. I know it's been a while, so apologies about that once again. For responses, later reviews will be listed first, because I'm lazy and can't be bothered to reverse-order them. To those I do not explicitly mention, thank you for reviewing!**

 **Chapter 16:**

 **FORGEMaster: I have no idea if Asari have eggs to create a zygote. The whole 'Mind Pregnancy' thing kind of throws the anatomical process out the window.**

 **Sabatie: Not sure if you're talking to me or people in the reviews, but yes, Star roads were neural-physical megastructures of Precursor origin.**

 **Guest #1: The Ark is that big, but I was talking about the Portal at Voi, which is 117km in diameter. My lore is correct as much as I can make it, but if you do see something wrong, let me know!**

 **Me Myself and I: Not at all, my thoughts for orbital tethers went along similar lines. Have put some thought into the UDP MACs, thank you for the input! As for cloaking, Spacedock makes a point in that a ship would be beyond visual range, but the problem is that he analyzes it in regards to biological sight, something made clear when viewing ports are mentioned. Get an AI on board a ship to analyze imagery, or even just, I dunno, something that might magnify the scene. Maybe, uh, a telescope? Suddenly, you can see a ship in the vast reaches of space and a cloaking field becomes quite nice.**

 **Space: Good to hear, I enjoy writing about political talks, along with cultural interactions. Much more to meeting new life than pew pew pew.**

 **Ase of SpADeZ: Fair enough on the balance consideration. I've thought it might be a mistake, but I want to work around it and see where it goes. Good consideration on economics, and it is something that I will be addressing when it comes to military action.**

 **Axcel: The Colonial Military Administration had orbital control of colonies before the Insurrection, so the UNSC is probably supposed to be a force to use against foreign threats, much like a modern military.**

 **Zenbeast38: Yes, and interesting idea for the interludes. Mass Effect weapons would be worthless against the Flood, all penetration and no stopping power.**

 **Ragnar92: I did not know about that, but indeed yes they did. Will have to think about that one, thank you.**

 **Vrael 1: After this long, destroyed by the Ark's Sentinels I would believe.**

 **Machcia: I address lifespan this chapter, actually! As...you might have just read.**

 **Andy021: Thank you, yes it was, I do plan on addressing new ship classes, and the main force for acquiring tech for the Citadel, namely the STG, would need to break through UNSC cyberdefenses. Considering how badly they hamstrung themselves in computing, that's not going to happen easily.**

 **Jarediscool: Apologies, been there myself!**

 **Chapter 17:**

 **To all the reviews inevitably asking this: I am sorry for the long absence in updates. I will endeavor to ensure that it does not happen again, but cannot guarantee it with complete certainty.**

 **Leonard Church814: Yeah, that's the problem with writing for digital beings, everything's references to actual memory addresses, not names. Can try to get something like that when I get around to updating the Assembly discussions.**

 **Artilyon-rand: Yes Holocaust 'crap', as you put it. It's one of the most defining tragedies in human history and changed our perspective on the status of civilians in war irrevocably. There is nothing that I could find in Mass Effect lore about any of the Citadel species executing such a systemic slaughter. Seeing that brutality would absolutely affect the views of visiting foreigners on how merciless humanity could be.**

 **: Preparing material from the Covenant War for the Museum of Humanity would still be underway.**

 **Dragon lord Syed 101: Not this chapter, but next one yes.**

 **Guest #1: At some point, yes. The Citadel will have to learn of UNSC AI.**

 **Guest #2: As much as I love Avery Johnson, it would not fit to bring him back. His death was well done in my opinion, since he was present from the First Battle of the Covenant War to the last. I won't mess with that.**

 **Guest #3: I mean, there is canon as to what Quarians look like. I'm keeping with that.**

 **Imoneoldfart: Not quite sure where you're getting that statistic, for as far as I can tell the SuperMAC fires a 3,000 metric tonne slug at .04c or 12,000 km/s.**

 **mteran305: If you're talking about Greatest Prison, have an update for that planned to come out of 09/12.**

 **Machcia: Trying to add surprise at every turn, which is kind of what you describe and I would think would be the case in true first contact, quickly turns it into a repetitive reading and writing experience.**

 **Finally caught up on reviews! Looking forward to the next chapter, here's to hoping that it won't be such a wait.**

 _-evevee_


	19. Team Testing Time

Disclaimer: I own no franchise mentioned in this work. Halo belongs to 343, Mass Effect to Bioware.

 **Free time? Hobbies? What are these things?**

 **A few hundred words shorter than usual and another long delay in getting this out for which I apologize once more.**

 **Now for Review Responses! If you don't care, skip to the breakpoint below. For responses, later reviews will be listed first, because I'm lazy and can't be bothered to reverse-order them. To those I do not explicitly mention, thank you for reviewing!**

 **To those asking for an update: Huzzah, here you are!**

 **To those asking if the story is dead: Huzzah, nope!**

 **To those complaining about story length: Simplicity does lend itself to crossovers in my opinion. Sorry :/**

 **Guest: The Guardians against Reapers would be devastating, yes, but that is something that we as outsiders know. To the characters, the Reapers are still a largely theoretical threat since they know so very little about them.**

 **The Master of Sin. Lucifer: I do want to have the UNSC experiment with Mass Effect, but considering their advancement with hardlight technology, it is unlikely that they will incorporate it in anything but experimental development projects. This chapter should answer your second question, and I do not plan on adding OC species to answer your third question.**

 **TheRealMasonMac: Tying up loose ends that I don't want to have floating around further into the story. Did the same thing with the Flood, quite simply I don't want to have the Spirit of Fire be a big plot point so I removed it from interfering later.**

 **Bakh: Not sure I understand your review. To "solve" the Warden's supposed superiority complex, they should have forced the Citadel Council to cede to their demands and adhere to their standards? I also disagree that a preeminent galactic power such as the Citadel would want to give up their positions of power in the face of an unknown, foreign alliance.**

 **Barni: Thanks? I don't know what tune to use with those lyrics, though.**

 **The Iron Waffle: Centuries-old humans are a legitimate possibility, yes. Not sure I want to tangent out into the implications of that, but a mention of the deaths during the Covenant War of those types of people might come about. At that point, however, mental degradation is a very real probability.**

 **Oralecks44: The Council will have its reckoning. I will not say more than that. :)**

 **ConcreteCamel: I plan to focus on the** _ **Normandy**_ **since the star characters are all gathered there, as is fitting for Mass Effect, but I will continue to touch on the broader macro as well. As focused as ME was on Shepard, there is a LOT more that goes on in a war effort than one ship can display.**

 **BattleshipFusou: Chief is not a talkative fellow, especially not with non-Spartans.**

 **Mr Weird Guy: That is something I don't know if I've ever seen a fanfiction address, that being the economic impact of technology from Halo or Mass Effect to the other verse. At the same time, a war machine is so dependent on economic efficiency that creating a dependency on foreign material would almost certainly win a war through lack of public support for a conflict alone. Quite literally bite the hand that feeds you.**

 **Lord Jaraxxus: I haven't really told any views from standard UNSC soldiers/UEG civilians. Peace with the former Covenant does not ensure universal support for the Wardens, and peace with the Alliance doesn't guarantee forgiveness for their perceived betrayal. Good thing to address with the joint-fleets, eh?**

 **Lanzador: Thank you for the lore recommendation. Dunno if you've read my one-shot redo of the Locke vs. Chief fight, but I will say with fair confidence that I understand the capabilities of a Spartan-II very well, and I agree that keeping their abilities in mind is important.**

 **Mteran305: I want to hit the second anniversary of this fic with another chapter, but I do have some progress on the next chapter of TGP and will try to get that out if I finish the next chapter of this early.**

 **. : Yes, Garrus saying that the SoF was 2.5km would be a typo. Good catch!**

 **nikhilssindagi: Damn, I like that idea. Unfortunately I don't read the reviews cause I'm a nervous wreck if I try to write and read reviews at the same time, but I can certainly do that the next couple chapters until the delegation leaves Earth. Will credit you, thank you!**

 **Thorthemighty321: Well, yes, mass effect rounds have a large amount of energy, but how much area do they have to transfer that energy to a target? Not much, thus they overpenetrate and retain much of their kinetic force. That article does mention tanks, but I can find no mention of specs for ME tanks so...the rest of your speculation is not really pertinent. They COULD be amazing tanks, or they could suck. I don't know because there's no canon details on Citadel tanks. Thus, lacking any actual information on their existence beyond a secondary codex source, I am classifying ME tanks as non-existent. I disagree with your assessment of their strength, but that's beside the point. If you'd like to talk more about it, feel free to shoot over a PM. Love lore and specs conversations like this. :)**

 **heartfanglives: A mistake on my part to cover so much. Apologies.**

 **AmethystPone: Pre-War UNSC Frigates fires a 600 tonne ferric tungsten slug at** _ **30**_ **km/s, not 30,000 km/s. Super-MACs fired a 3,000 tonne slug at 12,000 km/s. The Pillar of Autumn received refits before the Fall of Reach that allowed her MAC capacitors to recycle charge and thus allow for a faster fire rate at the cost of wearing out the capacitors at a faster rate.**

* * *

 **June 6, 2589/17th Day of 5th Month, 2459/June 6, 2180**

 **UNSC Anchor Sierra**

 **High Earth Orbit**

"Welcome to Anchor Sierra," Fred greeted the alien group as they took in the sight of Blue Team. While John technically led the team by rank, there was no way that he would have spoken up without being directly addressed.

"I assume you're the UNSC team that will be joining us on the SSV _Normandy_?" the human leading the party of various species asked rhetorically.

Fred replied, "Yes, sir. HIGHCOM has authorized Blue team to deploy under the assignment of assisting in operations undertaken by your vessel."

"Glad to have you on board. Captain David Anderson, I'll be your commanding officer on the _Normandy_." Anderson turned to the side and gestured to the human woman next to him as he continued, "This is Commander Shepard, she'll be your XO and lead the ground team on combat operations. I assume you want to keep the call sign of Blue team?"

"Yes, sir," Fred answered with a nod.

Anderson nodded back and asked, "What's your name?"

"Blue Three," the Spartan responded before pointing back to John, "Blue One," then on to Kelly, "Blue Two," and finally to Linda, "Blue Four."

The Captain stared at the Spartan for a short second before trying again, "That's great for call outs during combat, but you'll have down time while we're in FTL. What are you called off duty?"

"Sierra 104 is sufficient, sir," Fred stated, leaving his teammates out of the introduction this time.

Anderson didn't seem surprised by the non-answer as he replied, "So be it. Do you know if any other species of the Wardens will be joining the crew?"

"Yes, sir. Two Special Operations Sangheili and a Huragok. Other forces may be recruited if necessary for large assaults," the Spartan responded.

"That's unlikely but appreciated. Obviously they are not here now, do you know when they will join us?"

Fred lifted his shoulders ever so slightly as he answered, "No, sir."

The Captain of the Normandy frowned slightly at that and said, "Understood. Are they all combatants?"

"Not the Huragok."

"Alright, that can work. Do you have any concerns about orders during missions?" Anderson asked bluntly.

Fred stared silently at Anderson for a second before flatly replying, "So long as they are not hostile operations against the Wardens of the Mantle."

One of the turians in the group laughed at that and commented, "That shouldn't be an issue." As the attention of Blue Team turned towards the alien, he continued, "Spectre Vakarian. I, along with Spectre Arterius, will be the Council's representatives on the _Normandy_. We're here to make sure no issues arise from the _Normandy_ 's assignments."

"Noted," Fred replied, avoiding the silence that would have otherwise been his answer.

"We didn't come all this way to just chat for several minutes and leave. Why are we here and not on the surface?" Anderson asked. From the tone, Fred knew that it was merely a prompt for the reason that they were up in orbit.

Fred turned and nodded to the landscape displayed behind the Spartans. At the confused glance he got in return, the Spartan explained, "War Games simulation to evaluate team strength."

"In orbit? Why not on the surface?"

"Some combat conditions cannot be accurately created without catastrophic damage to the surface," Fred told them frankly.

Spectre Vakarian spoke up again, "The conditions you could simulate up here are even more limited I would think."

"Forerunner makes it possible. I don't know how it works," Fred said, intercepting the obvious follow up question.

"Well, we didn't come prepared for a fight. When were you planning on hosting this simulation?" Anderson inquired.

The Spartan turned slightly to the side for a second before replying, "Tomorrow. Those who wish to attend can report to the coordinator tonight. You may bring your weapons. A briefing will be held before the mission starts."

A second of silence passed before Anderson nodded slightly and responded, "Understood. You can expect everyone here to be present tomorrow as well. I assume I may observe without participating?"

"Yes, sir."

"Excellent. I look forward to seeing the entire team in action," Anderson stated before beginning to retreat from the room. As he left, Fred's enhanced hearing could picked out his words to the Spectre as he muttered, "Apparently we did come for several minutes to chat. Not a sociable sort, are they?"

The Turian took a second to answer, "That's fine, as long as they-"

Whatever else was said was cut off as the bulkhead closed, leaving Blue Team alone to watch as the hard light simulation began to morph into the scenario that had been selected for testing the _Normandy_ 's ground team.

* * *

 **18th Day of 5th Month, 2459/June 7, 2180/June 7, 2589**

 **UNSC Anchor Sierra**

 **High Earth Orbit**

Come up to Anchor Sierra and try out the combat simulation, they said. It'll be a great exercise, they said. As far as Garrus was concerned at the moment, however, whoever 'they' was could go on a one-way trip into the Veil.

It had started out as such a nice day, too. Get up in the morning, gather combat gear, and head back up to the UNSC station for a day of learning about the mysterious Blue Team. Get into the 'War Games', start to synergize as a team and learn about the enemies that the UNSC had fought.

If that wasn't enough, the information that he had found on the UEG Waypoint seemed to indicate that the War Games simulations were far more than just mock battles with training ammunition. Fully realized augmented or even virtual reality was apparently common in UEG space, though large-scale use in military training had only come about after their war with the Covenant. Of course, that made sense since it was the only way that the humans could possibly consider orbit a better place for training facilities than the surface of a planet.

The possible applications of such a technology were staggering, especially the with enemies that might still lurk within the Warden's galaxy. Being able to accurately assess how a force would perform in engagements would be invaluable to Citadel military forces. Considering the wide range of uses in human civilian life, it would undoubtedly be hugely popular with Citadel civilians as well.

At the current moment, however, Garrus was far more focused on surviving against the aforementioned enemies than on how the humans had created such a novelty.

From the pre-mission briefing given to the Citadel team, they were conducting a planetary assault against a world controlled by Kig-Yar. Warden forces had already engaged and eliminated hostile vessels, giving them orbital supremacy. As a Spec Ops team assigned to a stealth vessel, it was the ground team's job to take out several pieces of critical defense infrastructure to allow for large-scale troop deployment. Once that was complete, they were to join with the primary assault group to provide support in breaking the enemy lines. None of that was particularly surprising as it presented a textbook case of combat on an enemy world.

Most of the team had assumed that this would be similar to Turian doctrine, with major population centers being targeted and leaving the majority of territory in enemy hands. Such a tactic was basically unavoidable for a planetary invasion as there were few fleets in history that would have the manpower necessary to do otherwise. While it was obvious that the UNSC was focusing on similar specific objectives, their execution of the tactic was far more aggressive than the Citadel's, at least in this specific instance.

Unlike Turian units, which relied on stealth to avoid engaging hostiles unrelated to accomplishing their mission, the Spartans simply annihilated everything in their path. As far as Garrus could tell, the UNSC had confused long-range penetration units with shock troopers. While it may have been easy to attribute this to the Spartans working alongside the _Normandy_ crew, the presence of multiple other groups doing the same thing indicated that this was a planned and, more importantly, familiar strategy for UNSC forces.

Admittedly, Garrus could not deny the effectiveness of the tactic as enemy forces fell into disarray from casualty numbers alone.

Having accomplished their objectives, the _Normandy_ team had been directed to fall back and prepare for the main assault. This led them to their current position of taking cover from the bombardment directed at the enemy lines ahead.

Garrus had been in battles before, taking part in several skirmishes with Terminus denizens along with the tailend of clashes with the Geth in Citadel space after the Morning War. He knew that the rest of the Normandy crew had similar experience, that each knew their job and how to perform it well. After fighting with Blue Team, he was also confident that nothing short of heavy weapons would present any appreciable threat against the heavily armored humans.

He was also completely and utterly certain that the Spartans were the only members of the group who had ever been in a conflict like the current simulation.

Vibrations shook the ground at their feet and the muffled impact of heavy weaponry sounded from across the battlefield as the humans turned everything in front of their forces into a chunky, red paste. The source of this bombardment sat high above their heads, drifting through the clouds of smoke that obscured the sun and cast the entire area in a pale grey pallor. From the few breaks that the Turian Spectre had managed to catch, he knew that the UNSC had positioned at least three of their frigates above the frontline.

It was unlike anything he had ever seen or ever heard about throughout his service. No Citadel forces fielded fire support of this caliber, and they certainly didn't do so on cruiser-weight vessels rated for atmosphere.

Suddenly, a calm voice sounded across the team's communications as the order came for them to advance. Glancing to the sides and making sure that everyone was ready, Garrus followed Shepard as they charged out of cover alongside other UNSC forces. Within seconds, the rest of the _Normandy_ 's crew followed, falling into formation with the Spartans taking point as they had learned to do when fighting earlier. Garrus had to give credit to Shepard for her quick learning on that one, the massive soldiers were perfect for leading the team into heavy fire.

As the humans pushed the front forward, the streaks of shells falling in front of them also shifted, moving across the battlefield like a literal rolling thunder. Left behind was what Garrus could only describe as a barren wasteland comparable to the surface of a dead world. Craters pocketed the land and the only living organisms were the human forces advancing across the hellscape. Since any semblance of cover had been obliterated by the bombardment, the infantry kept behind the large wheeled vehicles that the humans called 'pigs' for some odd reason.

Much to the surprise of Garrus, it wasn't long before the team was ordered to assault a fortified enemy position that had survived the devastation. According to the human intelligence services, an important database of local Kig-Yar ship locations was present along with several high-priority targets that had been marked for elimination. The primary objective was the retrieval of the data with any assassinations coming secondary to that goal.

They had just reached the perimeter established by simulated UNSC forces when an alert came in over the team comms, "Be advised, all ground units in sector 13. Frigate 338-Heavy has been authorized for an orbital MAC strike at 29.553 mark 85.283. Impact in t-minus 93 seconds."

Garrus was not the only one who turned to Blue Team at that, either in surprise or with the expectation that the Spartans would understand the communication better than themselves. They were not disappointed as the one with a 087 on her chest piece pulled up a map of the surrounding area for all to see. The position of the team was clearly marked on the very edge of a massive red zone that went off the holographic interface. A marker designating their current target gave the team some perspective as to the scale of the map, with ground zero easily being several dozen kilometers away.

"Hold position, we'll move after impact," Shepard ordered after considering the situation for a short bit. She received no argument as the team moved to the defensive positions established before their arrival.

While waiting for the round to land, Garrus considered the regular UNSC troops around him. Even though he knew that this was a simulation, it was truly impressive how easy it was to forget that. The tension of battle was real as the human soldiers moved to brace for impact, with the obvious faces of recruits mixed among the hardened veterans of the Covenant War.

For Garrus, it was that realism that hammered home how foolish a war with the Wardens would be. He had known it would be a bad idea, anyone with any experience in combat analysis would know that, but it was clear just _how_ bad of an idea it was. These humans, along with every other species in the Wardens, had fought a war of such scale and devastation that orbital strikes were seen as standard operation. From the description of glassing, it was a tactic utilized by both sides to leave no opposition standing, regardless of the damage caused.

Total War was a concept well known by the Turians. They were the only Citadel species to ever approach the realization of the idea in the war against the Krogan, who themselves were the only known people to actively engage in such a tactic. To commit every facet of a civilization to the pursuit of victory in a conflict was a foreign concept to every other known race, at least until now.

It could be seen when the Spectre had visited the Museum of Humanity and accounts of the horrific wars humans had fought before. It could be seen by their view on the Covenant War and the accounts of the battles that were fought in that conflict. It could be seen by the common philosophy throughout their history. For humans, when fighting for the survival of their society, every option was preferable to defeat.

Rather than sending troops to take a heavily fortified enemy position, the humans would simply obliterate it with orbital weaponry. If a valuable resource could be denied to the enemy, it would. These were not the battles that Turian fleets fought against pirates. This was war, something not seen in Citadel space since the Krogan rebellions, and the humans were absolute masters at its execution.

A sudden silence spread throughout the humans, causing Garrus to look towards the horizon. Contrasted by the dark clouds obscuring the sky above was a bright line connecting the heavens to the ground below, caused by the friction between the orbital shot and the gases it ignited. There was no sound beside the shifting of bodies as everyone present hunkered down to weather the coming storm.

Less than a second later the scream of the round splitting the air reached them, followed almost immediately by the whump of impact. Garrus was thankful that he didn't try and peek out as a massive cloud of dust swept over the area and the ground shook beneath them, disorienting the Spectre. Due to the kinetic nature of the human weapons, the actual blast itself was fairly focused, with the crust of the planet dispersing most of the energy rather than the pressure wave that was the result of explosives.

Garrus took a second to glance over to the targeted area once the shaking stopped, though quickly lost interest when he saw that the dust kicked up obscured any visual of the crater. Turning back to the team, he followed as they continued towards their mission objective.

Within several minutes they had obtained a visual of their target, courtesy of Blue Two as Blue Team's designated scout. Their target was a den of Kig-Yar that had hunkered down in a crashed Covenant vessel with enough armor to make bombardment a hopeless prospect at best if the UNSC wanted to execute a data retrieval mission. Obviously the combat would be close quarters, unsurprisingly, leaving Garrus at the back of the formation.

Shepard had already decided on an infiltration route and recalled the Spartan to bring the group up to full strength. As helpful as it'd be to have advance intelligence on the layout of the base, the risk wasn't something that the Commander wanted to take. In much the same way, she'd denied Garrus the chance to split off to find a good position for sniping in earlier combat.

When everyone had been assigned their roles and the team was in formation, they advanced into the fallen ship. Even a cursory glance at the outside made it clear that this thing wasn't going to be flying again, something emphasized by the fact that their infiltration route was provided by a massive rend in the hull of the vessel. It was into this dark maw that Blue Team led them, with the Spartans flashing bright lights from their helmets around the interior to make sure it was clear of hostiles. After working with the massive humans earlier in the simulation, Garrus knew that the visual examination was nothing more than habit. In several previous fights the Spartans had known where the enemy was approaching from before making visual contact, meaning that they had some method of motion tracking or something similar.

From that point the operation moved forward without many hitches. Even with such a large group, they were able to infiltrate the enemy position without a problem. After bypassing several groups of enemies that were en route to reinforce positions against the human assault they were expecting, the team made it to their primary objective. Since it was a War Games simulation and not an actual vessel with critical information, the team was required to hold position and wait while they took the area in a very simple but functional mechanic had they been under fire.

As they waited, Shepard turned to Blue Team and asked, "Is there anywhere in the ship that we can hold and draw them to us?"

"Hangar," Blue Three answered instantly.

"How many attack vectors?" Shepard inquired.

Sierra 104 hesitated for a second before replying, "Ten."

The Commander frowned at that and replied, "Lot of positions to defend."

"Open area. Recommend against corridors, unable to utilize all members and grenades will be major threat," the Spartan explained.

"Will it still be intact?"

Blue Two cut in as she answered, "No external damage to indicate collapse."

Shepard took a short time to think and ordered, "You have permission to break off and recon the area. I don't want to trap us in a dead end if the passage is blocked. Avoid engaging hostiles."

The Spartan nodded and set off, her footsteps nearly inaudible with the ambient noise. Within seconds her massive form vanished into the twisting halls of the Covenant vessel, hidden from Garrus' view by a turn in the passage.

Even after they had waited long enough for the simulation to mark data extraction as complete, the team held their position and waited for a report from 087. By the alert but unconcerned postures of the other Spartans, it was clear that they were confident in the abilities of their teammate. After having seen them in action, Garrus was fairly certain that that confidence was not misplaced.

Several minutes later, the call came over the team comms, "Partial interior collapse on port docking bay. Found alternate route, hostiles present in hangar."

"Understood. Give us a path, we're moving to your position. Permission to engage granted," Shepard responded. Shortly after this, a marker appeared on Garrus' HUD, courtesy of the Spartan scout. Falling back into formation, the _Normandy_ 's team moved out with Blue Team once more taking point. As they moved, the Commander ordered, "Weapons hot, engage at your discretion. Immediate threats take priority over VIP targets. Let's make some noise."

With that, the team moved out, covering ground at a fast pace. Unlike their previous objectives, where stealth had still been an asset to be conserved, there was no reason to maintain strict fire control here. They were already in the middle of a warzone and had human reinforcements surrounding the mission area anyways. Either the targets would die to Shepard's team, die to the UNSC soldiers outside, or get shot down by the ships above if they tried to flee in aircraft.

As such, any semblance of hesitation regarding engaging hostiles disappeared almost instantly. Several small groups of Kig-Yar were simply run over as the Spartans gunned them down without slowing their stride. With the newfound level of killing efficiency being displayed by Blue Team, the hallways in front of the _Normandy_ team remained clear of hostiles as they made their way towards Blue Two. Since he and the rest of those from Citadel space were apparently not needed with their vanguard mowing down everything that moved, Garrus took a second to observe the humans in unhindered combat.

From the speed with which they drew beads on and thusly eliminated targets, it was clear that Blue Team was just as adept at killing enemies as they were at avoiding them, not that that was surprising to the Turian. What was truly impressive was the coordination that the three Spartans utilized to clear out hostiles. It wasn't even designating targets but legititmately coordinating fire to maximize their effectiveness, with each Spartan contributing interchangeably.

Any distant targets were taken out by Blue Four with pinpoint accuracy, often before Garrus himself could even register their presence. When not busy with that, 058 would assist by picking at any Kig-Yar that bore their circular shields, causing the undisciplined beings to stagger and expose themselves to bursts from Blue One and Three. Anything that did not have the advantage of range or mobile cover was annihilated with extreme prejudice, often before they could even return fire at the team. Had the last member of Blue Team been present to flank, it was likely that most hostiles would die before realizing there was a threat in the first place.

It was a combat strategy that was ill-advised for all except the most desperate situations. Any mistake could mean disaster and it was almost impossible to maintain such a pace for any length of time. Without downtime to recharge shields, reload, and recuperate, most any group would die from attrition before accomplishing anything except exfiltration. That Blue Team was capable of maintaining a run-and-gun tactic made their possible application on the battlefield that much broader.

Garrus was certain that he was not the only one contemplating such thoughts, something that was confirmed when a ping came across the private channel between Saren and himself. A quick flick of his hand to the side of his helmet accepted the call without muting the general team comms.

"They're holding back," Saren began, cutting straight to the point.

"Obviously," Garrus replied. "We wouldn't be able to keep up."

Saren grunted at that and stated, "Better to send them on their own to distract the enemy and allow a small strike team to accomplish objectives."

A second passed as Garrus watched the _Normandy_ 's Commander before responding, "Shepard might not know that, she wanted to know how they worked with a team."

"Not well," the elder Spectre criticized.

"Their war against the Covenant changes things," Garrus said. When Saren stayed silent, he continued, "Any regular soldier that worked with them would almost certainly die. We've only succeeded with stealth and concentrated fire, anything with a real personal shield would present a major threat. They're used to working alone because that's how they finished their missions, as sole survivors."

Saren looked over at Garrus for a brief second before turning back to continue their run to the hangar. Eventually, the Turian asked, "How do we use that?"

"According to what I was reading on the human's Waypoint, the UNSC used them for operations behind enemy lines and for suicide missions of critical importance. We aren't fighting a desperate war for survival, at least not yet. Deploy them to break enemy positions and allow the rest of the team to advance," Vakarian answered.

"Perhaps," Saren granted.

There was a pause in their conversation as the group finally reached the hangar of the crashed ship. As they emerged, the Turian Spectre took a second to scan the area for advantageous positions. Before him was an appreciable drop, at the bottom of which was the crumpled remnant of a ramp that had been destroyed when the vessel crashed. Several other such ramps coated much of the area in debris, though the collapsed port side also contributed to the chaos. Several dead Kig-Yar were already present, courtesy of the Spartan standing amidst the wreckage waiting for the team to gather.

A grunt came from Garrus as he dropped to the floor, the last to do so as the Normandy's experienced fighters secured any entrances to the area. With their sprint through the ship to get here, every hostile would be heading for their position after taking some time to organize into an actual group. Since that was the point of going loud, however, the only concern that Garrus had was how much time they had to prepare for the onslaught.

As he made his way over to an elevated position provided by the damage to the port bay, Garrus listened as Saren resumed, "They don't consider the possibility of prisoners, at least not from what we've seen. Hard to interrogate a corpse. Either way, will need to be careful where we deploy them. Keep the team grouped up and make sure there are plenty of other targets."

"You think they'd try to take down the _Normandy_?" Garrus pressed.

Saren huffed and replied, "With how the Council's pushing, that might be what it comes to. Would prefer to face them with the full team than split apart."

Vakarian considered that for a short time before inquiring, "You think that'll help?"

"It'll give us a chance at the least," Spectre Arterius said softly.

There wasn't much to argue with there, so Garrus didn't even bother trying. Instead, he turned his full attention to the room before him, his perch granting him an unobstructed view of the entire team. Of the original ten entrances that had led to their position, three had been sealed off by the damage done to the ship, with two others basically useless due to the lack of a platform at their height.

By Shepard's orders, the Normandy's team had split off to hold each door as best they could. If one team was overwhelmed, they could fall back under covering fire from Garrus and Blue Four. Being overrun by hostiles was a possibility, but the Spectre was fairly confident that their fighting capabilities were good enough to prevent that. Failing all else, Shepard could simply set loose the Spartans, though Garrus was of the opinion that it'd be better to see the team fail and improve rather than be carried by individual team members.

With their position set and reinforced best they could, the only thing left to do was wait for the enemy to group up and engage. Usually letting hostiles regroup would be near-suicidal, but Garrus was fairly confident that Shepard chose the tactic to test the team's ability to hold a position against such an onslaught. Why use a simulation if risks weren't taken, after all.

That onslaught arrived shortly after as multiple groups of Kig-Yar emerged from the hallways leading to the hangar, each shielded from any immediate fire by the glowing circles that they utilized. Several green balls flew at the _Normandy_ team, though all were poorly aimed and only ended up leaving small melted areas on the shipgrade hull that lined the room.

Garrus wasted no time in returning fire as he sent a shot over the top of a shield to take out the alien holding it up. Even with that relatively quick first kill for the Turian, his shot was drowned out by the Spartan's thunderous weapon as it let loose three massive slugs, each finding their mark in the hostile lines. As helpful as that was, the real damage caused by the eliminations became clear as the rest of the team opened fire.

With the holes opened by the two snipers, the others could send rounds into the sides of the Kig-Yar to further thin out the shields and allow the bulk of the enemy to be targeted. Several more intelligent hostiles attempted to reorganize their makeshift units into something that might be able to at least beat an ordered retreat, but their efforts were only met with bullets from the two snipers hidden behind the team's lines.

Over the course of the fight, Garrus noticed several mission objectives disappear from his HUD as marked hostiles were taken down, though he hesitated to use the term 'assassinated'. Taking a quick break from firing, the Turian Spectre thought that slaughtered might fit the description of their target's fate much more accurately.

Without a reliable shield to hide behind and their lack of kinetic barriers, the Kig-Yar stood no chance against the _Normandy_ team. By the volume of targets, it was clear that the simulation was attempting to overwhelm the team by numbers. It appeared that the concerns about being overrun by these enemies were unfounded, however, Garrus could see many problems with the team that would need to be fixed if they were to face more difficult foes.

Individually, there were no outstanding mistakes as far as the Spectre could see. Everyone seemed to be competent at hitting their target and knowing when to take cover, all that was expected of soldiers. It was a lack of teamwork that caught the attention of the Spectre. Even with this one moment of observation, it was obvious that each member was acting independently with minimal direction from Shepard. The only exception to this was Blue Team, though that didn't surprise Garrus after their earlier display.

While the Turian would be greatly concerned about this in normal circumstances, the Commander's performance earlier made it unlikely that her silence was spawned from incompetency or insecurity.

As he went back to picking at the Kig-Yar, Garrus made sure to keep an eye on Shepard's behavior as the fight progressed. Within minutes it became clear that the Commander was calmly analyzing the team in action, just as Garrus was doing. There were several times when the human stopped firing to focus on another member in action and take note of how they could improve.

At this point, the Kig-Yar had begun to realize that they had lost and tried to retreat back into the twisting hallways of the crashed vessel. Unfortunately for them, there were still two targets remaining for the team to eliminate. With another shot, Garrus dropped that to one as the target tried to make a break from the safety of cover to the exit.

Now that they had a chance to breathe, Shepard quickly made sure that everyone on the team was green before giving the order to pursue. In a break from previous tactics, the Commander kept the Spartans back and put the Asari Justicar on point.

Unlike the UNSC soldiers, Samara had a notably more defensive fighting style. Rather than killing hostiles before they could react, the Asari used her biotics to shield herself from enemy fire and let other team members eliminate the attackers. While at first concerned that the glowing bolts the enemy used as projectiles might penetrate the biotic barrier, Garrus quickly gained confidence in the tactic as the Asari showed no sign of strain form the impacts.

With the team now organized in an acceptable fashion, they began clearing out the twisting halls as they moved towards the exit. Since most of the hostiles onboard had died in the hangar, there were no large groups to slow them down as they backtracked.

Thus, it was only a short time later that the ground team was once more approaching the line set up by humans around the area. Several dead Kig-Yar near the ship made it clear that the UNSC forces had shown no mercy and gunned down anything that tried to escape.

Once they had reached a safe distance from the crashed ship, Jane called in command for their next mission objective. Instead, the team received orders to fall back and prepare for extraction. While surprised with the order, Garrus had no complaints as the team began to make their way further away from the front.

As they walked, the Spectre pulled up a tactical map of the battle on his omni-tool. Even though it only covered their assigned sector, it wasn't hard for Garrus to see that the UNSC had already won the battle. The lack of any force of respectable size meant that the front had advanced to another region, leaving behind only destruction and the corpses of any enemy that opposed them.

Several minutes later, the _Normandy_ team reached their pickup location. Apparently the UNSC had fairly stringent protocols regulating how close vessels could come to an active battle, probably due to the devastating anti-air units that the Covenant had employed during the War. In this case, however, there was no actual ship coming down to pick them up as the UNSC did not have any idea what the _Normandy_ would look like nor how it would maneuver.

Instead, the team ended the War Game in a rather unspectacular fashion by watching the world around them dissolve into small hexagonal tiles, revealing the massive room that they had wandered around for the last several hours. Garrus felt that the stares of the _Normandy_ team were rather warranted considering the level of realism the simulation had achieved, though he supposed that Blue Team was probably already accustomed to the feeling as the Spartans turned towards the exit. In short order the rest of the soldiers had adjusted to the sudden change in scenery and followed the armored giants through the open door and into the room beyond.

After taking some time to recuperate after the simulation, Shepard stood from her spot at the and addressed the rest of them, "I'm heading to the debrief with Anderson. There'll be no team debrief for this mission, but if anyone wants to talk individually, let me know. We should be able to get footage of everyone so we know what we need to work on. Good work."

Several cheers followed her exit as Garrus watched the Commander disappear into the hallways of Anchor Sierra.

* * *

 **June 7, 2180/18th Day of 5th Month, 2459/June 7, 2589**

 **UNSC Anchor Sierra**

 **High Earth Orbit**

As Jane stepped into the conference room, those present turned their attention to her, causing the Commander to hesitate for a second. At a gesture from Captain Anderson, however, she continued forward, glancing between the four other people in the room besides herself and the Captain.

Sitting across from the Normandy's leader were four figures, only two of which Shepard recognized. Closest to Shepard was the Chief, still clad in his formidable armor as he sat in a chair clearly designed to handle his weight. Somehow, it didn't surprise the Commander in the least that the Spartan wore his armor even outside of combat. Probably got the hint from how little the four humans communicated in the simulation. Beside the soldier was a frail-looking woman dressed in civilian clothes, making her the odd one out in the room. Admiral Lasky Was next, a face that Shepard recognized from some of the discussions she'd attended down on Earth between Benezia and the UEG. Last was some sort of intelligence officer that the commander also recognized but could not put a name to, unsurprisingly.

Her quick observation complete, Shepard took the seat next to Anderson, putting her directly across from the civilian woman. It was only then that Jane realized that the woman was missing her left arm from the shoulder down, with a prosthetic taking up the space instead. Whether it was a result of self-experimentation, combat, or an accident was impossible to tell.

"Only us two," Anderson told the assembled humans. At that, Admiral Lasky looked over to the intelligence officer and got a nod in return after the man fiddled with something on the holotable for several seconds.

"Everything said here is classified to the highest levels," Lasky began. "Anyone outside this room who needs to know the details of your mission has already been informed. By the authorization of the Systems Alliance High Command, the SSV _Normandy_ is being assigned to provide operational intelligence against the threat known as the Reapers."

Shepard narrowed her eyes slightly at that. The Wardens had certainly taken the Reaper threat far more seriously than the Council, but to be actively gathering intelligence seemed like they had already confirmed their existence in the first place.

Before she could speak, however, the previously silent intelligence officer picked up from where Lasky had left off, "Initial investigations have corroborated the claims made by the Systems Alliance to a sufficient degree to merit concern. While we have access to some more remote locations that the Council does not actively monitor, ONI has identified several critical areas of interest within your galaxy that require a more personal touch."

"Meaning you can't get to them alone," the woman stated with some amusement in her voice. Admiral Lasky sent her a disapproving look that was easily ignored.

"Yes, well, we were instructed to avoid a war with the Citadel."

Lasky interjected, "And we will continue to avoid it unless they push for one or if it proves necessary, Admiral Fewkes. HIGHCOM has made it clear, CENTCOM for operations in Citadel space will continue their current assignments until we have data on the Reapers."

"Which is where the _Normandy_ comes in," Anderson said.

The ONI Admiral turned his attention to the Captain and confirmed, "So it is. Your mission is to deploy to locations within Citadel territory that are otherwise inaccessible to the Wardens. Mission objectives will mostly be data retrieval and threat assessment, though that may change depending on how this investigation progresses."

"All data you collect will be sent back to the Systems Alliance, who will pass it on to us," the woman stated imperiously.

"Admiral Hackett will be your primary contact for information and acquiring cover missions to take you to the designated areas. Keeping the Citadel Spectres ignorant of this operation is critical to prevent the Council from interfering," Lasky finished.

Once Anderson had taken a second to process those operational directives, he inquired, "Permission to speak?"

"Granted, we understand this is an unusual situation," Lasky responded.

"I suppose the most obvious question is about your intentions for conflict with the Citadel," the Normandy Captain started with a bit of hesitation.

Admiral Fewkes replied, "Military Intelligence suggests that the Citadel Council is completely incapable of responding to a galactic threat. Preliminary reports on their ability to react to such a crisis on a social and economic basis are also discouraging. War might improve their chances of survival, or at least slow the advance of an enemy."

"What if the Reapers attack in the middle of that war?" Shepard asked. "If the Council is focused on you, their fleets could be cut off in our galaxy and unable to assist. Even with the _Normandy_ finding information on the Reapers, we won't have good intel on how dangerous they are. Wiping out previous species could have been simple for them if they had some way to control the Mass Relay network."

"There's no way around that if the Reapers can control the Relays, though we can at least plan for it. Ultimately, it's a risk we're willing to take. If the UNSC had not faced the Insurrection, we would have been in the same situation when the Covenant attacked," Admiral Lasky stated.

The ONI officer agreed, "Halsey's correct, as irritating as that is. The Citadel Council is susceptible to a critical failure in their primary form of intersystem travel. Their military vessels and shipbuilding yards are worthless if they can't go anywhere or communicate with anyone."

"Assuming that the Relays can be remotely shut down by the Reapers," Anderson interjected.

Halsey, as the woman was apparently named, snapped, "Assume the worst when talking about threats to an interstellar civilization. Humanity has faced galactic extinction before, the Council has not."

Jane frowned and replied, "I hardly think the Covenant could wipe out an entire-"

"I was not speaking of the Covenant," Halsey interrupted. "There are far worse things than some religious zealots with a superiority complex. Far worse than the Reapers ever could be, for that matter."

"And how do you know that?" Shepard questioned.

"Because we'd all already be dead if that were the case," Lasky answered.

The Commander was silent as she stared across the table before responding, "You are taking the Reapers seriously then. Good. Any independent investigations presented to the Citadel Council have been dismissed."

There was a small smirk on Halsey's face as she replied, "That's unfortunate, but we know that they exist, and we know that they have destroyed an interstellar civilization in the past. We must take the potential threat they represent seriously as we know so little about them otherwise. Their nature, their tactics, their beliefs, none of that."

"If the UNSC has faced things like this before, it would had to have been after the Alliance was formed. I expect that you're sending someone who has experience with that situation?" Anderson inquired.

Lasky nodded and gestured to the silent giant as he answered, "The Master Chief is the most experienced and most qualified individual for dealing with this situation. For missions assigned by Hackett, we recommend deploying Blue Team either with the main group or separately. Try to limit their deployment on assignments with the team otherwise, as Spartans were designed to work separately from regular troops, as you saw in the War Games. He also has an unfortunate knack for finding the nastiest things in the galaxy, things that I doubt many of your team could survive contact with."

"Lovely," Jane commented, glancing over at the silent giant. "If necessary, I will bring him with the ground team, though. I can't limit my selection because someone is too good, even if their teamwork is not up to par. We kept up with Blue Team in your simulation, we'll be able to do the same in the field."

Halsey looked about ready to argue with the Commander before Admiral Lasky responded, "On a standard mission, perhaps, but if the situation calls for it, they will not hold back. The Wardens will have forces near you at all times in case things get really out of control without warning, but you'll need to know when to fall back from a fight."

"The Council had not informed us that they were permitting forces to accompany us. That makes our strategy as a stealth ship somewhat difficult to maintain. How many ships will be with us and what are they authorized to do?" Anderson asked.

"Just one, and it will not interfere with your vessel's stealth capabilities," Fewkes replied. "As for authorization, that will be up to the discretion of the vessels commander and the Chief. If necessary as a last resort, the UNSC Security Council has given permission for the destruction of systems to delay the enemy if they come in force."

Jane stared at the four people across the table for a time before sitting back and sighing as she said, "You're serious."

"When faced with extinction, every alternative is preferable," Halsey said calmly. Neither of the two Systems Alliance soldiers could argue with that.

"What the hell kind of ship are you fielding?" Anderson finally inquired.

The silent Spartan finally spoke as he stated, "Classified."

It was clear that the Chief wasn't going to say anything else, allowing Anderson to ask, "If we encounter the Reapers in force, how far out would support be? One ship cannot fight a war, no matter how powerful."

"Deployment numbers and locations of Warden assets are generally classified, especially when it comes to our operations in the Citadel's galaxy. If Blue Team cannot accomplish their objective due to enemy numbers, then you will receive coordinates to fall back to for support. It is unlikely that our joint-fleets with the Citadel will be able to assist, but those groups can be called in as well. If the threat is truly that serious, then more extreme measures may be implemented," Fewkes answered.

"And what is their objective?" Jane questioned. "I can't have soldiers going AWOL."

"In the event that you discover a Reaper vessel, Blue Team is to infiltrate and disable the ship for study by a team of Alliance and Warden scientists. Other members of your team from the Wardens may also participate in that operation if necessary, but no other part of the ground team is to do so," Lasky replied.

Shepard glanced at the Chief and responded, "While they were certainly apt in the War Games, I don't think that assaulting an unknown enemy ship alone seems like the best idea. If they don't succeed, does someone else have the authority to command your support ship for assistance?"

"How much do you know about the Spartan branch?" Lasky asked after a short time, redirecting Shepard's question.

"What I've been able to read when on Earth. Most elite units in the UNSC, separated into their own branch after the end of the Covenant War. Almost everything about them is classified, but the Master Chief is seen as a hero. I'm not trying to insult him," Jane defended.

Admiral Lasky nodded and said, "Not saying you are, but do not underestimate Blue Team. That War Games simulation was not difficult, it was a display of the type of enemies we currently fight against. It was only a hint, however, of the capabilities of a Spartan. Since you are their commanding officer during this operation, it will help you to know where and how to deploy them. First thing, what are your thoughts on their performance?"

Jane was somewhat surprised to be asked that, however, she quickly gathered her thoughts and answered, "Blue Team works together almost flawlessly, though they also tend to engage enemies individually rather than focus on one target. Their coordination with the rest of the _Normandy_ ground team was the most problematic issue I saw. A lack of shields will also be a problem against Eezo weaponry while their weapons may be weak against enemies with kinetic barriers."

"As for deploying, their most effective role would be in breach-and-clear ops where hostiles need to go down fast. I didn't notice any issues with trigger discipline or unnecessary engagements when we were keeping silent, but four metal giants clomping around doesn't seem to lend to stealth. They would make an excellent distraction to draw enemy forces away from an infiltration group. I would like to work on integrating them into the team if we need to move as a group, however, I understand the issues with that considering their abilities. Those are my initial impressions, at least without knowing them personally."

Halsey appeared irritated, though Shepard wasn't sure if it was directed at her since the woman was looking off towards the ONI officer. Lasky ignored the interaction in favor of replying, "Glad I asked, then. Considering what you observed in the War Games, that's a fair assessment. Blue Team was not particularly challenged, though neither was the rest of your team. I think it's fair to say that some of the aliens from your crew were not performing at their best either. For the most elite soldiers of the Citadel, I was not impressed by the Spectres. They might not be deployed with regular troops often, but I still suspect that they were limiting themselves."

At Anderson's nod of agreement with that, the UNSC Admiral resumed, "The same is true of Spartans, both about holding back as well as working with non-Spartans. They operate behind enemy lines, fighting on the front only in desperate situations. The Spartan Branch was created after the War to give the UNSC a force capable of what essentially amounted to suicide missions. Intelligence gathering, infiltration, target elimination, sabotage, they do it all. We asked you to limit the deployment of Blue Team because neither the UNSC nor Systems Alliance believes the Council is ready to understand human warfare."

"Currently, the Council does not know about energy shielding, or so our intel reports at least. The reason you did not see the shields of Blue Team is because they were not being hit by enemy fire. Any Waypoint search results relating to the widespread use of energy shielding by the Wardens have been blocked by ONI AIs. It is possible that they might learn of it through their interactions here on Earth, but it is unlikely. The same is true of many other pieces of military hardware that are considered critical to any respectable fighting force. Introducing the Council to the concept of something like a main battle tank might help them prepare, but it will also terrify them considering the heaviest vehicle they deploy is little more than an APC for human forces."

"There was a lot to see, but a lot more that we didn't," Jane concluded.

"Precisely," Fewkes affirmed. "We don't know some things, such as the interaction between plasma and biotic barriers, but that will require experimentation by Alliance biotics. As for the Council Spectres, ONI has observed them in action and received information from the Systems Alliance as well. Two of them being assigned to the _Normandy_ means that the Council will be keeping a very close eye on your vessel."

Lasky took over once more, "Blue Team will limit themselves and their weaponry. If necessary, however, they can escalate the situation. You will need to know what the Spartan team assigned to the _Normandy_ is capable of and command them in a manner befitting of those abilities. As such, you have been given clearance to view the dossiers of Blue Team, though many sections will remain partially or fully redacted." With that, the UNSC officer slid a datapad over to Jane.

Ignoring the obvious differences from similar items in the Systems Alliance, Shepard picked up the tablet and began poking through its contents. Unlike the omni-tools that she was used to, this thing had a physical screen, but there were no security measures that she could see. After taking a second to examine the device, she glanced at Lasky and asked, "How do I lock this?"

"You can't, at least not for yourself. If you aren't the one using it, then no one is. No information is actually stored on that, it's merely a connection to the data," Fewkes explained.

A quick glance was all Jane needed to see that she would need to pry information from the Spartans themselves if she wanted to interact with them. Almost everything in the file was marked as classified, with the largest visible section devoted to the Chief's capabilities. After flipping through the files of the other three members of Blue Team, Shepard paused as she noticed the rank listed beside the Spartan's service designation.

While Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy was a rank within the Systems Alliance, it seemed that the UNSC had decided to retire the position after the Covenant War. Jane had figured that the Chief was a war hero after her investigations on Waypoint, but the idea that the rank itself would need to be changed in honor of one individual was new. The Waypoint had never mentioned that Master Chief of the Phalanx was essentially equivalent to a Fleet Admiral for the Spartan Branch. Impressive as an individual and amazing with his team, it would seem that the Chief held far more pull than Shepard realized if he was in command of an entire military branch.

If there was any notable number of Spartans in service in the UNSC, then the soldier across from her could command enough manpower for planetary invasions with but a word.

Yet, the UNSC seemed to have no issue with sending the commanding officer of a special operations force far behind possible enemy lines based on the vague possibility that he could find information on a threat to all life in the galaxy. As confident as she was in her abilities as a soldier and commander, Jane knew when she was outclassed. One look at the vast list of operations the Chief had participated in validated Shepard's decision, especially considering the number of black ops that were still marked as classified.

Taking a second to process everything in front of her, Shepard set down the datapad and turned her attention back to Admiral Fewkes as she inquired, "What about your information on the Reapers?"

"If you have clearance to see what the Alliance knows about them, then look there. Otherwise, that will be something to contact Admiral Hackett about. We don't have any tactical knowledge on them, as stated before, so what we do have is both limited and almost certainly irrelevant. Mostly archeological and geological data with only a few useless Prothean records, seeing as how the Council has swarmed every location they've found," the ONI Admiral replied.

"Fair enough," Jane replied before pointing out, "Not a lot of personal information here."

"Spartan profiles are complicated. Be glad that you have access to any of that data," Halsey responded.

Before Shepard could speak, Anderson replied, "We appreciate the access, regardless of how much has been withheld. We will be deploying once we return home, is there a strict timetable on the investigation? The Council will doubtlessly be assigning us to other objectives as well, making it difficult to comply with deadlines."

"That is up to your discretion. Losing the _Normandy_ as an asset would hinder our operation sfar too much at this time, so do what you need to keep under the Council's radar. If the Wardens decide to engage in conflict, you will be given as much warning as possible to distance yourselves from the conflict," Lasky answered.

"What about the soldiers you will have on the _Normandy_? The Council will be suspicious if the Wardens suddenly withdraw your forces unless tensions grow, and losing Blue Team makes our mission of finding the Reapers much more dangerous if we assume the worst," Anderson pointed out.

Admiral Lasky responded, "It is extremely doubtful that Spartans will be deployed in a conflict against the Citadel Council due to their distance from our borders. Based on current deployments, the Wardens would be seeking to wage a war of attrition to encourage force buildup from the Council species. So long as that plan doesn't change, there is no reason to recall Blue Team from their operations on the _Normandy_. Obviously the Council would not allow them to remain on the ship, however, so separating your vessel from the official command of the Systems Alliance would be required. How many members of the ground team would still be willing to serve on board a ship not allied with the Council, however, is something I cannot know."

Thinly veiled irritation tinged Anderson's voice as he questioned, "You would suggest mutiny?"

"If necessary, but preferably something more forgivable. Communications blackout, something of that nature. How that is dealt with will largely depend on the situation," Lasky said.

Anderson didn't seem pleased but accepted the notion with a tilt of his head as he stated, "Then we shall wait for that day and hope it never comes, I suppose. Would the other Warden members of the team be joining on an independent mission if that comes to pass?"

"Unlikely at this time, but not impossible. The Swords of Sanghelios have decided that they would prefer to consolidate their forces in the event of war with the Council, and the Huragok will probably retreat to the UNSC vessel that is accompanying your ship. Our ships in the proposed joint fleets would withdraw to strongholds within the Citadel galaxy for further orders. As deadly as Elite Spec Ops are, we are looking to galvanize the Citadel species into action, not behead their leadership," Admiral Lasky responded dryly.

"We'll have to evaluate where they fit in the team," Shepard commented.

Lasky shrugged slightly and replied, "Part of why they are not here is because their roles are well defined. Spec Ops excel at stealth missions, though unlike regular Stealth Ops Elites they can also hold their own in a direct firefight. Huragok are exclusively backline support. They hate combat but are unmatched when it comes to anything technology-related."

Jane thought about that for a second before stating, "I can work with that. Same rules are Blue Team?"

"Try if you can, but it's less stringent since Spec Ops usually work on their own anyways and the Huragok are rather infatuated with the Reclaimers," Fewkes said.

"Good to hear," the Commander responded. "Since you mention your status as Reclaimers, will you be deploying us to any Forerunner sites?"

Halsey kept up her slightly hostile stare as she answered, "Absolutely not. Forerunner ruins are far too dangerous to allow the Council to bumble around them."

"Systems Alliance Command forbade the _Normandy_ from leading the Council to any known Forerunner sites," Anderson explained.

"Good to hear," Fewkes stated. "We have nothing else to inform you of at this time, unless if you have more questions?"

Shepard shook her head in the negative, allowing Anderson to respond, "Not at the moment. I will direct any inquiries to Admiral Hackett if necessary."

"That will work. You are dismissed," Lasky said.

With that, both Jane and Captain Anderson stood to make their way out of the room and back down to the surface of Earth.

* * *

 **I have nothing to say, really. Next chapter should be out on the anniversary of the story. It should be chapter 24 but is not. Rargh.**

- _evevee_


	20. A Hint of Hope

Disclaimer: I own no franchise mentioned in this work. Halo belongs to 343, Mass Effect to Bioware.

 **Busy, but still got this out. Next chapter is already partially written for the first time in quite a while, so that's nice.**

 **Some people seem to think that Shepard thinks that the Covenant couldn't wipe out Humanity? To be clear, she doesn't think that the Covenant could wipe out an entire galaxy, thought that would be clear since she was responding to Halsey's comment that Humanity had faced galactic extinction.**

 **Also seems to be confusion about why AI's have a seat in the Wardens. The Assembly, made up of AI's from Sangheili, Forerunner, Human, and Geth, has that seat. It's not just human AIs, who, mind you, didn't have a representative before either.**

 **Now for Review Responses! If you don't care, skip to the breakpoint below. For responses, later reviews will be listed first, because I'm lazy and can't be bothered to reverse-order them. To those I do not explicitly mention, thank you for reviewing!**

 **AfterlifeXD: 1. Releasing the Flood on a civilization would be tantamount to xenocide considering the nature of Mass Effect weapons. 2. Yes, that's fairly reasonable. I try to keep away from hard numbers except in specific situations, though I know I did state some early on it the story for defense fleet numbers.**

 **BaddieDZ2: I'm not jumping straight into a conflict because there's usually more to diplomacy than "dick-waving" as you put it.**

 **Tommy298: Heh, sorry to hear.**

 **Hamilton406: Agreed, no worries there.**

 **Axccel: I understand your concern. A great many authors do like to "balance the scales" or some other nonsense. I will not do that. These are not duels for honor, galactic war is just that, war. Fight to win, to crush the opponent and survive. Against the Citadel, that's not so much a concern, but the Reapers? Well, UNSC doesn't have much information on them, so why back off? :)**

 **Ramos: No problem on the English, not a language everyone speaks (duh). Not a problem with the authors for plasma guns, just that research on plasma weaponry isn't exactly widespread since, well, it isn't exactly widely used. Will look into this, thank you for pointing it out! Was mostly going with how plasma is depicted in Halo, but still deadly even in that context.**

 **Larc rivereagle: Possibly, but that depends on the bonds between atoms of the material. Firing sand is hella different that tungsten, for example.**

 **LordLoverDuck: From what she saw, yes. From the dossier, less so.**

 **JumpingToaster: Life, unfortunately, does not always allow such a schedule.**

 **Anyways, on to the chapter, on time this time as well!**

* * *

 **19th Day of 5th Month, 2459/June 8, 2180/June 8, 2589**

 **Citadel Embassy**

 **Sydney, Earth**

"I attended a human sporting event today, a game that they call 'foot ball'," Benezia began after turning on her omni-tool's audio recording. While organizing her thoughts, the Asari stared out of the window that made up the wall of her apartment in the Citadel's Embassy on Earth. In front of her sprawled the human city of Sydney, a metropolis which far outsized anything in the Systems Alliance.

Eventually the Matriarch turned away from the view and began to pace lackadaisically as she resumed, "There were similar events when I was stationed on Terra, but I never paid much attention to them. No one in the Alliance seemed interested in building big stadiums, which makes sense now that we know about the Covenant. Apparently that isn't the case here."

"I've never seen or heard anything like the human's game. Hundreds of thousands of them, all jammed together in cramped seats with low quality food, and all of them _enjoying_ it. At one point one of the players made a good play and scored, and the roar was earsplitting. I could hear nothing else but shouting and cheering, but I also couldn't help but be swept up in it. I didn't even understand what was going on most of the time and the humans have somehow made that _fun_ ," Benezia said with a bit of laughter at the memory.

After taking another moment, she muttered, "I think..."

Benezia trailed off and was silent for a second before continuing, "I think the Council needs to reconsider how they want to handle this situation. These people aren't the Systems Alliance, though the same species they may be. Civilians in the UEG are far more focused on rebuilding what they lost than colonizing new worlds like the Alliance. I've talked to those who accompanied me here, asking about their impressions and what they've heard."

"One of the Spectres said he talked to a guy from the Outer Colonies who told him about the world he came from, where vast mines mar the surface as automated machines scour the soil for resources. The Salarian scientist that's accompanying the _Normandy_ visited one of the Universities and was almost drooling over the questions these humans are asking. From all of them, however, the story is the same when it comes to the Covenant: everyone lost someone."

The Asari sighed slightly before picking back up, "There haven't been any issues yet, thankfully. Some hostility, but no actions. It's clear that the UNSC is trying to keep the masses away from us for the most part, avoiding crowds outside the Senate Chambers and that sort of thing. As much right as the humans have to hate the Covenant, they still seem to support the Wardens of the Mantle, which is what concerns me. If the Council picks a fight, it would allow the Wardens to truly solidify as a political body with public support, rather than the loose political organization they are now."

"What caused them to create the Wardens of the Mantle, though? I would think that the tensions of the War would have prevented such an organization from succeeding, too many open wounds from the conflict. From the way they take the threat of the Reapers, it seems like the UNSC well and truly believes that there are things out there that present a threat to all life in the galaxy. Something must have happened to validate that position, a threat even greater than the Covenant."

"It may be connected with something that Jane told me after she visited a UNSC base. According to one of the veterans there who claimed to have fought in the final battle against the Covenant on Earth, there was a lot more to the War at the end than just humans versus aliens. This soldier, one of the human 'Marines', he said his unit was wiped out by a species called 'the Flood'. I tried to find out what happened to this unknown race, but searching the human networks revealed almost nothing. Whatever they were, it was a threat to both the Covenant and the humans and might be the unifying factor behind the Wardens," the Matriarch theorized, her thoughts racing while she kept her voice even.

Her attention suddenly turned towards the entrance to the apartment as Aethyta stepped in and gave a wave, keeping silent when she saw that her partner was busy. Benezia nodded back before finishing the audio log to send to the Council, "Investigations into whatever this 'Flood' is should be made. What is it, where did it come from, but most importantly, why are the humans, so determined even after thirty years of war against the Covenant, more afraid of an enemy that was only present for at most the last few battles of the conflict?"

* * *

 **June 8, 2589/19th Day of 5th Month, 2459/June 8, 2180**

 **DAV-class light corvette**

 **Orbit of Tuchanka**

For all their security regarding the Krogan Demilitarized Zone, it would seem that the Council was unable to learn something as simple as visual cloaking. Of course, Atriox had known this for a long time after conducting so many operations in the Citadel galaxy. If the prey that the Banished hunted had possessed the ability to hide from them, they would have, not that the Salarians that tried to tail them were any better. Even now, after having pulled away from making deals with the Citadel Council, he still received intermittent reports of STG ships trying to sneak around Banished vessels.

After having dealt with the Council for so long, however, Atriox had expected that it might be possible for him to convince them to let a Banished vessel near the Krogan homeworld. That didn't happen, hence his current transport on board a DAV-class light corvette that the Swords of Sanghelios had provided for transport to Tuchanka.

Currently, Atriox was on assignment from the Alpha Chieftain to meet with Urdnot Wrex, a Krogan Battlemaster who had caught the attention of the humans. How the humans discovered him or what he had done to merit that interest was not something that concerned the Jiralhanae Warlord. What caught the attention of Atriox was that he recognized the name of Urdnot Wrex from his time in the Terminus.

A legend that stretched back centuries, the Battlemaster apparently served as a free-lance fighter and adventurer. Regardless of anything else, Atriox could respect a warrior of that caliber. After looking into the culture of the Krogan, it wasn't hard for the Warlord to see the obvious parallels between the Jiralhanae and Krogan. Both had burnt out as they tried to leave their homeworld, left in the ruins of their civilizations and then uplifted by an interstellar coalition for their own purposes.

The difference was that the Jiralhanae had managed to survive the ordeal and begin to rebuild their culture with more than just perpetual war.

According to the humans who had already scouted out the world, Tuchanka was a nuclear wasteland bereft of almost all life save the most hardy species. Any attempt at civilization had been destroyed by the warring clans on the surface, though considering the plight of the Quarians, Atriox would not be surprised if the Council had interfered in some manner.

By the request of the Alpha Chieftain, Atriox was to contact Urdnot Wrex and discuss the possibility of restoring the Krogan as a stable species. While a generous offer, it was clear to Atriox that the real goal was to recruit more species into the Wardens of the Mantle. The problem with that was the culture, or lack thereof, among the Krogan that would be an issue if they were to ever join the Wardens. It was the same issue of perpetual war that had plagued the Jiralhanae before their regression and after the Great Schism.

It was into that culture that the Banished leader would be stepping as the corvette finished entering the atmosphere of the planet, preserving their cloak by using their antigrav systems to stay aloft rather than orbital mechanics. Now only several minutes out from his destination, Atriox hefted Chainbreaker and made his way through the halls of the ship to the grav-lift in the hangar. Due to the clandestine nature of this mission, there were only four other members of the Banished accompanying him down to the surface of the planet.

Once the word was given, the four guards that were joining Atriox dropped down the grav-lift. They quickly sent back the all-clear signal, allowing the Warlord to step into the lift and fall to the ground below.

As he landed, Atriox immediately took stock of the area around him, carefully noting the vast number of ambush points formed by the Krogan ruins. While normally a great concern on such a hostile planet, the ship above them would have already blasted any potential attackers had they been present. Apparently Urdnot Wrex had known that trying to be clever would end badly, either that or he liked to confront things head on.

Seeing as the Battlemaster was standing alone and out in the open a short ways away from the grav-lift's landing point, Atriox was fairly confident in assuming that it was the latter option. With one last scan of the area out of habit, the Jiralhanae made his way over to the Krogan.

Before the Banished leader could speak, however, the Battlemaster asked, "What do you want, Warden?"

Atriox snorted, instantly coming to like the blunt individual before him as he replied, "I speak for them, but do not mistake me for a politician. My Chieftain asked me to meet you, and so I obey. The humans want to offer your people a chance at life."

A deep rumble came from the Krogan as he stepped forward, ignoring the shifting of the Banished guards and glaring into the Warlord's eyes. After short time, the two warriors broke eye contact as Urdnot Wrex stepped back slightly and stated, "You've worked for the Council, out in the Terminus. Out of respect for your strength, I'll give you one chance to answer why I should trust you."

"Humans pay well for information, especially when it comes to blowing things up. That it helped the Council was just an excuse for an extra paycheck," Atriox explained.

"Heh," Wrex huffed in what Atriox assumed was a laugh. The Krogan considered this for several seconds before deciding, "Fair enough. I'll hear this offer."

The Jiralhanae wasted no words as he said, "You and other Krogan will be given a world by the Wardens of the Mantle so you may repopulate and rebuild. Those who stay here will be left to their wars until the Council can be persuaded into lifting its restrictions. In exchange, you will not turn your new home into another radioactive pile of rubble."

"Tuchanka is our pile of rubble, and it will stay that way until every Krogan is dead," Wrex stated aggressively.

Atriox nodded in appreciation and responded, "The same is true for Doisac and Sanghelios and Earth. If you, Urdnot Wrex, do not accept, the Krogan may very well lose Tuchanka as your species fades to dust."

"The name is Wrex, Clan Urdnot is content to waste away in the dirt fighting over the scraps," the Krogan replied.

"This is your chance to change that," the Warlord pushed. "Gather what Krogan are willing to rebuild and get out from under the Council."

Another laugh came from the Battlemaster, though this one was mocking as he retorted, "So we may suffer under the Wardens instead? So long as the Genophage exists, we will never be free to live."

"The humans wish to change that, to fix the crime that the Council has committed against your kind. That is a crime that the Council will have to face someday, the Mantle would have it no other way," Atriox stated.

That got Wrex's attention as he asked, "They would cure the Genophage?"

"More likely they wish to change it to not be an abomination to life, but essentially yes," the Jiralhanae answered.

"Explain," the Battlemaster demanded.

Atriox snorted and responded, "I am a warrior, not a scientist, but even I recognize the horror of the Genophage. The humans will likely attempt to cure the Council's sloppy work and create their own solution for the Krogan to use."

"Then they are no different from the Council," Wrex countered.

"In their methods, arguably not," the Banished leader granted. "In their goals, however, absolutely. Even you must see that the Krogan cannot sustain the population growth they are capable of. The humans wish to save your species, not condemn it to starvation."

A growl came from the Krogan before he eventually replied, "I see that, the problem is that the solution is being forced on the Krogan, not made for them."

Several seconds passed as the Jiralhanae Warlord stared at Wrex before he said, "The Tribes pass on stories from generation to generation, even with the Vheiloth skein pushing new ways. I have never been as good at speaking as I have at fighting, but perhaps I don't need to be for this story."

When Wrex merely tilted his head in curiosity and a bit of confusion, Atriox continued, "In the Sixth Age of Conversion, before the 39th Age of Conflict, a small species was brought into the Covenant. They had been living primitive lives on their world, doing their best to survive."

"Within twenty years of their introduction, a Rebellion took place as their growing numbers caused friction with the other races. To end the conflict, the Covenant glassed the homeworld and inflicted heavy losses on their population. Rather than dealing with the cause of the problem, the Grunt's became cannon fodder, fed into the endless war machine that the Covenant maintained. Outside of conflict, laws were forced upon the Unggoy to prevent breeding, with any disobedience met with death for entire families."

"It was only once humanity fought the Covenant and the Great Schism split it asunder that the Unggoy were freed. Yet, without conflict to trim their numbers and with the Covenant's production worlds glassed during the Blooding Years, they faced the prospect of extinction alongside every other former Covenant species. After thousands of years under the Prophets lies, who was left to tend the farms, who could repair the technology that the San'Shyuum alone understood?" the Jiralhanae asked.

Silence was the only answer from the Krogan as Atriox finished, "The answer was in the enemy that had fought us for the last thirty years. In return for allowing them to study that technology, they also repaired it when they could have left entire planets to die. By the request of the Unggoy themselves, the humans created a product similar to the Genophage to create sustainable population growth."

"The humans fought your kind, died in the billions, and then turn around to help you?" Wrex asked, understandably incredulous.

Atriox grunted and replied, "Their actions don't always make sense, none of them can agree on anything, but there are worse things in the galaxy than the Covenant. Terrors that even I do not wish to disturb."

"The humans call your kind Brutes," Wrex eventually commented. "That does not seem accurate."

"Under the Covenant, they were not wrong," Atriox countered. "Jiralhanae were encouraged to let loose their violence, taught only war and cruelty. I was no fool and left before the crimes of the Prophets became known to all. You have the chance to do the same."

A glare came from the Battlemaster as he stated, "We are similar. That's why the Wardens hired you to convince me to do this."

It was not a question, so Atriox did not bother directly addressing it as he replied, "Do not mistake the humans for stupid apes. Their War with the Covenant did not leave room for the weak to take power."

"You respect the humans for having fought against them," the Krogan pointed out.

"They slaughtered my battle-brothers, wiping out my clan one by one. I resent them for it, but I also understand why it had to be so," the Warlord said calmly. "The genocide of the humans was wanton violence by the Prophets, and it is they who bear the blame. As I fought the Covenant, so did the humans, leading to its rightful destruction. I respect that strength."

"To be Krogan is to be strong. You have me curious about the humans, as the Alliance has most certainly not been impressive," Wrex said.

Atriox smiled and slammed Chainbreaker into the ground, triggering its gravity generator and leaving a sizable dent in the stone as the Jiralhanae declared, "Then show your strength by breaking free of the Council. See for yourself why I work for the Wardens, even though I am not one of their soldiers. Show the galaxy your right to live!"

Wrex looked away from the Jiralhanae at that, gazing around at the ruins and surrounding wasteland. After some time, he finally questioned, "How long until your ships arrive?"

* * *

 **June 8, 2589/19th Day of 5th Month, 2459/June 8, 2180**

 **Migrant Fleet**

 **Terminus**

For the largest groups of ships in the entire galaxy, it was more difficult than expected to locate the Migrant Fleet as it made its rounds through Mass Relays that never changed position. Of course, when the bar for difficulty was set at a mere search of the Citadel's Extranet, it wasn't surprising that more work was needed. That was where the Office of Naval Intelligence came in as they carefully tracked the Quarians after finding their fleet passing through one of the Relays out in the Terminus.

It was this massive flock of vessels that the small UNSC frigate cautiously approached. Even after having received permission to make their case to the Conclave, the prospect of entering the same airspace as the Migrant Fleet was daunting. Due to the rather precise maneuvering and possible slipspace jump the ship would have to make if something went wrong, the AI of the Anlace-class frigate was currently piloting the vessel along the provided flight path.

Watching alongside the bridge crew was the Envoy from the Wardens of the Mantle who would be meeting with the Quarian leadership. It had been decided that the Allied Fringe would handle interactions with the exiled aliens if they accepted the offer from the Wardens as it was within their territory that a world for them had been terraformed. To help facilitate that interaction, Representative Wurd Tonfa of Allied Fringe had been sent to this meeting with strict instructions to try and dissuade the Quarians from attacking the Geth once more.

As the UNSC ship pulled in to dock with one of the much smaller Quarian frigates, Wurd turned to begin making his way to the airlock that would allow them access to the alien vessel. From that point there was very little excitement as the Yonhet made his way to the Quarian ship. Since the Wardens were an unknown entity and had no one to vouch for them, the ship Wurd was entering was empty of all civilians. Due to the massive population loss from the Morning War, the Quarians had decided to use their internal fleet communications to meet with the Envoy rather than risk contamination from a biological source or infiltration by an Artificial Intelligence.

As he entered the alien frigate, two groups of Quarians met Wurd at the entrance. One was obviously made of soldiers as they had their weapons drawn, though none of them seemed ready to fire once they saw that the Yonhet was lacking any obvious weaponry. The other group appeared to be some type of biohazard team as they used their omnitools to scan Wurd. Apparently there was no issue as the Quarian marines turned to guide him to wherever he would be speaking with the Conclave.

Looking around, Wurd noted the many patches that were visible in the halls of this ship, making it clear that it was an older vessel and would not be a huge loss to the Migrant Fleet if the Wardens tried anything amiss. That wasn't the plan as far as Wurd knew, but he also could respect the caution that the Quarians were displaying when it came to their survival. Many of the species that made up the Allied Fringe were similar when the Covenant ruled as the loss of a single world could mean extinction.

Eventually the small procession entered a conference room, though any furniture had been cleared out in favor of a lectern from which the Warden representatives could address the Conclave. As they entered, one of the Quarian marines spoke, "The Conclave will contact you when it is ready."

"Understood," Wurd replied.

Shortly after they arrived, the screen at the front lit up to display a large group of Quarians, with five more prominent figures standing above the rest. Wurd instantly recognized the Quarian Admiralty Board, though he could not place names to faces due to the suits that covered their bodies. Even with the feed active, however, Wurd waited to speak out of respect for whatever process the Migrant Fleet had for these occasions.

After several seconds, one of the Quarian Admirals began to speak, "This Conclave is brought to order. Blessed are the ancestors who kept us alive, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season. Keelah se'lai." Several murmurs of that same Quarians phrase echoed throughout the chamber, though it was almost impossible to hear.

"State your names so that the Conclave may know who is speaking," the Admiral told the Warden representative.

"Representative Wurd Tonfa of the Allied Fringe speaking for the Wardens of the Mantle," Wurd responded.

The Quarian nodded and stated, "The envoy, Wurd Tonfa, has come to present a proposal to the Conclave regarding our future. They will be heard by the Conclave and by Admirals Shala'Raan vas Tonbay, Zaal'Koris vas Qwib Qwib, Han'Gerrel vas Neema, Daro'Xen vas Moreh, and Rael'Zorah vas Alarei of the Admiralty Board."

Done with the long introduction, the Quarian nodded at Wurd to indicate that he was free to speak. Having had some time to think, the Yonhet began, "The Wardens of the Mantle wish to offer your people a world within the territory of the Allied Fringe, to settle and recover from the Morning War."

"Abandon Rannoch to the Geth? After a mere 65 years, absolutely not," Admiral Han'Gerrel said almost instantly.

"Even if we were to accept, how would the Fleet reach this world? There is no Element Zero in your galaxy to refuel our ships, and no Mass Relays to transport them. As Admiral Han'Gerrel stated, we cannot give up our homeworld, for it is the only option left," Shala'Raan stated.

Wurd contained his confusion as he inquired, "It is not possible for the Quarians to establish a colony at all?"

"What few worlds would be able to support our species have been forbidden to us by the Council, and our Heavy Fleet cannot be wasted fighting the Turians on a whim," Han'Gerrel explained.

"Which is why the Wardens are offering you the opportunity to settle a new world, away from the Citadel and any potential threat that the Geth might pose. Resources can be provided to make the journey possible, including fuel for your ships and protection if necessary. The only request that we have is that you assist with our own research into Element Zero," the Yonhet replied.

Rael'Zorah spoke up as he responded, "If you can spare the ships to provide assistance, we could mount an assault on Rannoch and take it back from the Geth." This statement garnered motions of agreement from many Quarians around the room, making it clear to Wurd that this would be a very delicate negotiation between two conflicting objectives.

"The Council has requested that we do not provoke the Geth into conflict, a request that the Wardens of the Mantle cannot see any reason to deny," the Envoy said. "Intelligence gathered by the Humans and Sangheili would indicate that your homeworld is far too heavily fortified to take without major fleet actions. It is considered probable by analysts that any attempt to conquer Rannoch would result in a pyrrhic victory and devastation of the planetary surface."

Admiral Shala'Raan interjected, "Our patrols have been unable to penetrate the Veil since we were driven out in the Morning War. Even the Council does not venture to our home, any attempts to do so have been met with hostility from the Geth. How were you able to enter?"

Realizing the misstep but unable to retract the implication, Wurd replied, "Stealth vessels and drones, though the exact details are military secrets that I do not know."

"If we could study that technology and implement it in our own ships, we would be able to take back the homeworld ourselves," Daro'Xen suggested.

"I understand your desire to take back your homeworld," Wurd replied. "The Covenant drove many species from their homes, out of spite or for resources. The proposal I bring, however, is not to take back Rannoch but to allow the Quarians, as a species, to survive the coming ages. A fleet of this size will draw attention, as I am sure it already has, leading to inevitable losses. If an attack on your homeworld fails, then where will you fall back to? The Quarians run the very real risk of extinction, and that is something that the Wardens will not stand by and watch."

For the first time, Admiral Zaal'Koris spoke, "Why do you care about our survival? We pleaded with the Council for help and they cast us out. To them we are a problem, an idea that your diplomats did not seemed inclined to disagree with."

"You have heard of the Forerunners from Ambassador Mousset's discussions with the Council, as well as the Mantle of Responsibility?" Wurd inquired. At the nods from the Admiralty Board, he continued, "That is your answer. The Humans, the Reclaimers, they are upholding that Mantle. Guarding it, and thus all species, from those who would destroy them. It is a goal for them to strive towards, and while they may never achieve it, their own brush with extinction ensures that it will not be pushed aside. That is why the Allied Fringe was formed in the wake of the Schism, for protection from the horrors of the galaxy."

"While together the Allied Fringe has a population in the billions, each individual species is far less numerous, to the point that they could not individually contribute to the Wardens of the Mantle. We are inviting you to join us as equals, to take part in our decisions and benefit from the protections we enjoy. As numerous as your fleet is, a species with a population of several million cannot hope to contend on the galactic stage, especially when shunned by the dominant power," the Yonhet said bluntly, not dodging around that fact.

Even so, it appeared to insult the Conclave slightly as Admiral Han'Gerrel argued, "The Heavy Fleet is capable of defending the Migrant Fleet against attacking forces."

"From small pirate forces, absolutely," Wurd admitted, "but what about an organized force? Could you fend off the Turians or the Geth if they decide to finish what they started?"

"The Council has made it clear that they will not take action against us so long as we do not initiate hostilities against the Geth. If we could take back Rannoch, however, then we could investigate what when wrong and disable all the machines," Daro'Xen asserted.

Careful to keep his face blank as he contained his irritation, Wurd quickly replied, "No hostile action has been initiated by the Geth against the Wardens of the Mantle and we are therefore prevented from engaging in conflict against them. They do not present an imminent threat to the continued existence of any species, as they at least spared the Migrant Fleet. As for an attacking force, it could very well be an unknown, much as the Wardens were to the Council just a short time ago. It might not be likely, but the longer the Migrant Fleet drifts, the more probable it becomes that you might be mistaken for a target of opportunity."

"To assume that it is an eventuality erodes the authority of leadership, it is ruling through fear," Rael'Zorah declared.

"It is not necessary to use the possibility to force decisions," the Yonhet countered. "Yet it is a concern that must be considered, regardless of opinion. There are things in this universe that make the Geth look harmless, and at any time, one of those threats could appear and wipe out the entire Migrant Fleet in a single fight. Our offer is meant to prevent that from happening, to uphold the Mantle of Responsibility rather than stand by and see it fall. The Wardens of the Mantle will not help you take back your world right now, but perhaps, one day, you might have the strength to do it yourselves without risking everything. What I can tell you with certainty is that the loss of your Fleet would signify the loss of any chance of regaining Rannoch, a fact that I am sure you are well aware of. Accept the world we are offering, even if it isn't your home forever."

"To be trapped by a lack of Mass Effect and the reliance on your support would be worse than our current situation," Rael'Zorah said. "I and many others promised our sons and daughters that they would see the homeworld again, we swear by it. Keelah Se'lai, as it is said in our language."

Seeing the focus that the Quarians had made Wurd sympathize with the Council slightly, though he continued to push as he responded, "That promise is not one that I can fulfil. If you wished, you could petition the Wardens to try and contact the Geth to open negotiations, but as I stated, armed conflict is not an option."

"That is more than the Council offered at least," Admiral Shala'Raan admitted. "Would they be included in such debate?" Looks were directed at her from the other Quarians in the Conclave, though they went ignored as she kept her attention on the Envoy.

"I can't guarantee it," the Yonhet confessed. "I very much doubt that they would be welcome, however. In a galaxy of trillions, settling several million is a trivial matter. That it has not been done shows not only negligence but explicit intention to inhibit the continued existence of the Quarians. There are several members of the High Senate that are quite irate with the Council over that particular matter."

That seemed to interest Daro'Xen as she asked, "How do they plan to help the Krogan? If that is truly their reason for making this offer to us, they cannot also ignore the Genophage."

Surprised that the Quarian had picked up on that connection, Wurd took a second to recall the bits of information he had heard about the operation on Tuchanka before answering, "Discussion was underway about how to address the extinction threat to the Krogans. Ambassador Mousset has met with the Council about the issue and been informed that any attempt to remove the Krogan from Tuchanka or cure the Genophage would be an act of war. Other options are being considered, but it is not my duty and thus I am not well informed on the matter."

"I would expect the Wardens of the Mantle to push harder to preserve their principles," Han'Gerrel taunted.

"Clandestine operations such as what would be required to assist the Krogan are unknown to most participants of the Covenant War. The Prophets were never concerned about the lives lost in direct assaults," Wurd said.

Rael'Zorah seemed to pick up on the implication as he stated, "Your Wardens do not hold much respect for the Council."

"The only reason the Council has been spared is because they did not _know_ of the Mantle of Responsibility."

"It was my understanding that they were spared to combat the threat of the Reapers," Daro'Xen commented.

A surprised look was directed at the Quarian as Wurd responded, "A fair point. That is one of the major concerns that prompted this offer to the Migrant Fleet. As much as it irritates the other members of the Wardens, the Humans do seem to be remarkably capable of finding the nastiest things in a galaxy."

"Oh?" Daro'Xen inquired. "These things and those that you mentioned earlier are the same?"

"Yes, but it is not my intention to terrify you into accepting the offer from the Wardens," the Yonhet said. "I am here to make an offer, not a threat."

Admiral Han'Gerrel seemed somewhat amused as he questioned, "Your military is truly concerned about the warnings of the Systems Alliance? We do not agree with the Council on many things, but the existence of a race that wishes to wipe out all life in the galaxy is far fetched."

"And if they do exist?" Wurd asked in return. "The problem the Wardens have encountered is not that the Alliance suggested that the Reapers exist but rather that there seems to be a basis for that suggestion. Is it beyond reasonable doubt? No, but neither can we say that these Reapers cannot exist. _Something_ killed the Protheans, that much is obvious. A species spanning a galaxy does not just disappear. A similar situation can be seen with the Forerunners, where they encountered an enemy even they could not defeat and sacrificed themselves to save all other life. It has happened before, and the possibility that the Protheans failed to eliminate the Reapers is not one that the Wardens are willing to discount."

"If that's the case then what hope do we have of fighting them?" Han'Gerrel pointed out. "The Prothena Empire spanned the entire galaxy, neither the Wardens nor Council can claim that."

That the Protheans had claimed the entire galaxy after skipping entire sections using the Mass Relays was not something that Wurd vocalized as he replied, "Intelligence services from several Warden members are currently investigating the claims of the Alliance. Those investigations are classified and thus I do not know what they have found until they release that information, in which case you would be able to see it as well. It's possible that we can't fight them at all, but that is doubtful. From what the Alliance has found with their Prothean relic, the Reapers attack this galaxy and this galaxy alone. If that is true, then the Quarians and Krogan are at the greatest risk of extinction as neither of you have any appreciable presence past the Intergalactic Relay."

"So you wish to relocate the Migrant Fleet to your own galaxy," Zaal'Koris concluded.

"For all the reasons I have stated. Tensions are simmering between the Wardens and Council right now, but they might, as the Humans say, 'join the monkeys in throwing their shit around'. If that's the case, then evacuating the Migrant Fleet will become impossible. Such a war may last a year or an entire age," the Yonhet warned.

"Then we must decide now," Admiral Shala'Raan determined.

Wurd repressed his instinctual display of apathy and instead responded, "Now or in the near future if you want the choice to be yours. In any of the cases I have mentioned, wait too long and eventually the decision will no longer be that of the Conclave but rather of fate."

"The Conclave has been gathered to hear your statements, not vote on the fate of the Migrant Fleet at a whim. If a vote is supported, then it will commence. We shall contact you once our deliberations are concluded. You may return to your vessel if you wish," Rael'Zorah told Wurd.

Sensing the unvoiced dismissal, the Yonhet leaned forward slightly to accede to the words of the Quarian Admiral. With that, the screen flickered off as the Conclave began to debate. Turning away from the blank display, Wurd backtracked to the airlock with the Quarian marines trailing him. As he left, the Envoy prepared to relax for a while under the assumption that the Conclave would take some time to come to a consensus, let alone a decision.

* * *

 **19th Day of 5th Month, 2459/June 8, 2180/June 8, 2589**

 **Supreme Palace**

 **Khar'shan**

"The Council continues to refuse to take action against the aggressors?

Ambassador Jath'Amon shifted slightly at the irritation in that question before replying, "Yes, Hegemon. They are incapable of seeing truth as they blame the incident on pirates."

"Fools!" the Batarian leader declared forcefully, sending several slaves scattering away from the large master. "We shall deal with the problem ourselves, then. You are dismissed."

Seeing no need to prolong the meeting and risk punishment, Ambassador Jath'Amon cut the connection after paying his respects. The other Batarians present around the table were all silent, waiting to be addressed by the leader of the Hegemony. After several seconds of waiting, he turned to the head of the Department of Information Control and questioned, "What do the lower castes know of the incident?"

"Nothing, sir, but there are murmurs. People have noticed the silence, the lack of news from Logasiri. They are ignorant, for now," the Batarian stated.

"Are we prepared to respond?" the Hegemon asked, addressing the question towards one of the decorated military leaders that sat on one side of the table.

"Always," came the response, delivered with a straight face and an understanding that the Hegemon referred to the pirates under the Hegemony's employ just as much as their official military.

A lift of the chin was the only indication that the large Batarian leader approved before he brought his gaze on the chairman of Batarian State Arms, "Prepare to increase production and begin pulling from our stockpile. We will strike quickly and with vengeance." Turning to the head of the Department of Military Intelligence, the Hegemon threatened, "I will not tolerate failure for much longer. What do you have to report?"

"Our collectors out in the Terminus have informed us that the Wardens have been interfering with their operations. We are closing in on the location of whatever world they have stolen, but the slaves only work so fast," the Batarian complained with a hint irritation.

This did nothing to appease the Hegemon as he leaned his bulk forward and commanded, "Then find ways to make them work faster. If our forces stand ready and you do not have a target, your head shall adorn my door. See to it, now!"

"Yes, Hegemon!" the department head responded before quickly leaving the room as everyone else watched on. All of them knew the price of failure, such was the way of the Batarian system. Unyielding justice where punishment fit the crime, and the higher caste, the larger the failings and thus greater the penalty.

"How fares the business in the markets with the interference of the aggressors?" inquired the leader, directing his attention to the head of the Department of Economic Affairs.

"They were beginning to recover once the Council's pet Brute finally stopped harassing us, but sales are down again. Raids against the lower races have been increased to account for this. Collectors are hesitant to target the Alliance after the Elysium Massacre and Violation of Torfan, hurting the supply even more," said the Batarian that had been addressed.

A growl came from the Hegemon as he leaned forward and commanded, "See to it that they become less hesitant and more successful, then. The Alliance is nothing but filth, and their citizens are hardly capable of cleaning my floors let alone fighting against the might of the Hegemony."

"Of course, sir."

"Would you have any use for fodder against the aggressors?" the Hegemon suddenly asked, turning his attention back to the military leaders.

There was a hint of amusement on the officer's features as he replied, "More bodies are always good, especially if the weaklings refuse to fire at worthless slaves. I will require ships to transport them, however, as I will not have the untouchable castes on board our venerable vessels."

"Perhaps some of our _employees_ might be able to find some. The flailing imbecile that directs our spies recently informed me that one of our systems has been turned into a sea of thieves. Start there, and perhaps bring along a few suit rats to throw in the fighting pits," ordered the Hegemon.

"Sir."

"Does anyone else have anything to present?" the large Batarian asked. When no one spoke up, he stated, "Dismissed. Glory to the Hegemony."

* * *

 **June 8, 2589/19th Day of 5th Month, 2459/June 8, 2180**

 **Eleutheria**

 **Bastion**

Not many humans were ever taken as slaves. That was something that the Systems Alliance was quite proud of, especially considering how the Batarian Hegemony targeted their colonies in the Skyllian Verge. After the attack on Torfan, there had been even fewer of them coming through the slave markets on Batarian worlds.

Unfortunately for Talitha, she was one of those few who were in circulation. Caught out during a raid on Mindoir and taken before the Alliance could lock down the skies, there was nothing she could do to escape from the slavers. Years came and went, masters along with them as she was traded between various wealthy individuals who were interested in possessing one of the vaunted humans. Her last master had been an administrative official for the mining operations on Logasiri who already owned slaves for menial tasks, leaving Talitha subject to satisfy the pleasures of the Batarian.

That all changed when the attack started, throwing the entire colony into disarray. Within minutes everything had changed as both masters and slaves fell to the ground, unconscious from whatever had been dropped into the habitats. Talitha had not been spared from the same treatment as the next thing she remembered was waking up inside a massive hangar alongside thousands of other slaves. Eventually they were met with their saviors, a group of new aliens that called themselves 'The Wardens of the Mantle'. No one recognized the name.

From there, events seemed to move faster than possible. A short time after they were awakened, several fights broke out between slaves from different castes. These were put down almost instantly and it was made quite clear that such actions would not be tolerated. Talitha had despaired that they had exchanged one prison for another, but was glad to be proved wrong when a medical unit made their way through the hold to remove the implanted slave chips.

It was when they landed that the true disparity between her former life and this new opportunity was revealed. First among these realizations was the fact that the ship they were on had not only entered the atmosphere of a planet but actually landed on the surface itself. Even with their advancements in using Element Zero, the Council had never landed a vessel larger than a frigate on the surface of a planet, yet this massive vessel had done so with seemingly no trouble.

Second was when the hangar door opened to let the freed slaves offload and Talitha got her first look at their new surroundings. Unlike the depressing atmosphere that even the agricultural habitats couldn't mask on Logasiri, this was obviously a garden world that these Wardens had taken for their own. Alien plants grew amongst crags of rocks and the air was clean and, more importantly, breathable.

After walking a ways away from the ship to get away from the crowd of slaves, Talitha turned back to look at their transport. Whatever she had been expecting, the unbelievable wall of metal that greeted her was not it. Towering what had to be several hundred meters into the air and at least two kilometers long, the ship was far larger than anything she had ever heard of. Yet, there it was, sitting on the surface of the planet with no apparent damage. It wasn't the only one either as she could see pieces of similar ships around the edges of her own transport.

The introduction to a new life of freedom, or at least the illusion of it, took up the next several weeks as humans helped the survivors of Logasiri begin anew. Houses were built once the ships had lifted off the ground and back into orbit, much to wonder of all unfamiliar with them. Already there were those who were wondering whether they wanted to leave at all as the resources and infrastructure for a small city quickly sprung up.

As they built, Talitha learned about these people that called themselves Wardens. Apparently humans were only one of several species in the organization, leading to the obvious comparison to the Citadel Council. It was fairly clear, however, that these Wardens were far different from the Council and their passive acceptance of Batarian slavery. Medical units treated them not only physically but mentally as well, though the latter would take much longer to address according to the doctors. The only place that Talitha had seen such expertise had been the Systems Alliance, though she didn't remember much after so long in captivity.

Several times a day, massive ships would blast overhead, producing a dull roar and causing all to turn their gaze upwards to witness the spectacle. While it was hard to judge the size and distance of these vessels, it was evident that they were quite large, probably larger than the ships that had saved them from Logasiri.

During one week, a number of humans arrived and threatened to disrupt the growing settlement while hurling insults at the former slaves. Within a short time they were removed from the area by a group of soldiers that were called 'Marines'. This drew recognition from both Quarians and Humans, but what really caught the attention of Talitha was that the troublemakers had merely been removed. There was no execution, no fear from them as they were ordered to leave, just vocal complaints about the presence of aliens on this world.

It was at that point that Talitha began to believe that whoever these Wardens were, being on their world was not such a bad thing. In the Hegemony, speaking out like that would have been cause for arrest, and insulting soldiers usually resulted in a quick death. For all their ships and their legions of men, the Hegemony had still been afraid of anyone speaking against them. These humans, however, with their massive ships and verdant worlds, not only abided by but encouraged dissent, at least according to the rumors floating around.

Emboldened by the display, some of the former slaves began murmuring about whether they would be allowed to leave. No one asked the humans as to ask questions of a master was to invite a beating, and while these humans did not call themselves masters, old habits die hard. Eventually one brave soul worked up the courage, but none of the humans who were assisting them had an answer for that, replying only that they were there to help establish a sustainable development since almost none of the slaves had any experience in that area. After a few days, a high ranking officer from the military stopped by and informed them that they currently could not return to Citadel space. As it stood, the Citadel did not know who had attack Logasiri, leaving the former slaves trapped in a legal gray area.

If they were returned to the Citadel, it would implicate their saviors in an attack on a member of the Citadel. If that happened, there was a real possibility of the Batarians demanding their return as 'property'. Seeing as the Council had abided by the practice of slavery so far, there was no indication that they wouldn't return to the Hegemony. Until the slavers were brought to heel and the fallout from the attack dealt with, there was little they could do but wait.

There were some quiet protests and complaints about that between the former slaves, mostly in regards to contacting family, but only a few had enough confidence to voice these to the humans. After some negotiation and the help of a few Quarians, an abomination of a communications relay was set up and connected to the Comm Buoy network. Using both technology from the humans as well as the expertise of a species familiar with Citadel technology, the resulting product was functional, if not particularly aesthetically pleasing.

According to the humans, any messages sent would be manipulated such that they appeared to come from an address within Citadel space. How they achieved that was beyond Talitha, but it did imply that this world was not connected to the Extranet and thus was unknown by the Council. Considering the derision that their saviors seemed to have for the Council, that wasn't really surprising.

Curious as to why these humans seemed so determined to help them, Talitha risked seeking out one of their psychiatrists and asking. As hard as it was to hear about so-called 'slave mentality', Talitha appreciated the honesty shown as well as the lack of anger about being questioned. It explained actions she herself could not defend, how obedience had become second nature and any inquiries were expected to be met with violence. When instructed on how to build homes for themselves, no one had questioned it and instead set to work, fully expecting to be forced into long hours and no breaks. Yet, they were no longer slaves, and the work they did was to benefit themselves and the community they had become following the rescue from Logasiri.

Encouraged by that realization, Talitha approached one of the humans managing the ongoing projects and asked if there was any way for them to begin learning of the rest of the galaxy. Not only were the Wardens completely new, but many of these slaves had been captive for years or been unfortunate enough to be born into servitude. Discovering that there was more beyond work and pain would be important for gaining their independence.

Classes were offered a week later in a large, spacious building that the humans called a community center. Talitha didn't particularly care what they wanted to call it, what mattered was the information that was available. Due to the vast differences between the former slaves, ranging from young children up to centuries-old asari, a variety of classes were offered. Even with those divisions, it was obvious that they would need a larger space due to numbers alone as adults attended basic classes to learn how to think rather than just work.

It was clear that the teacher brought in by the humans were specifically selected so as to avoid issues with the unquestioning obedience trained into them, not that that was an issue so much as an observation that Talitha made. Through these classes, the survivors learned of the current state of the galaxy in all its splendor and terror. For some, the existence of an Intergalactic Relay was a complete unknown after having worked in the mines for so long. Others had met humans but only now learned about the rights they were supposed to have as citizens of the Citadel rather than property of one of its members.

Common between all of them, however, was ignorance of the Wardens of the Mantle, as was to be expected with their very recent introduction. So they learned of the lack of Mass Effect in the society of their rescuers and how they had innovated to get around that limitation and build up a civilization. They learned how those civilizations were nearly destroyed in the Covenant War, and how the members rebuilt afterwards, coming together in the face of annihilation. Most importantly, for Talitha at least, they learned how to make peace with their past, or at least begin to do so.

Obviously there was information that was being withheld from them, something that Talitha understood very well. Most of the educational material focused on practical skills and knowledge such as math and reading, but there were also cultural and social classes for reintroducing the former slaves into a free society. The idea seemed foreign to all of the non-humans as they were apparently expecting to be thrown back to the Citadel at some point with a basic education and left to fend for themselves.

Talitha thought it likely that they had never heard of rehabilitation since the Council had never actually freed any slaves from the Hegemony.

If these humans were truly the source of the Alliance, which there was really no reason to doubt considering they were the same species, then they had technology and capabilities that were hidden from the former slaves. Information on their military and industrial capabilities was almost completely confined to the the Covenant War, though they had to have advanced considering the social changes that were discussed separately. Wherever they were set up on this world, however, was a long way away from the small city that had been built by the slaves. Trying to explore by following the direction of the ships passing overhead had revealed nothing, but the Warden city had to be sizable to handle such vessels.

Three months after their rescue, or just short of two months by the human calendar, someone had the bright idea to give their home a name, regardless of how long they would be staying. After some discussion and research, the name Eleutheria was chosen from an extinct human language that they still used to name things for some reason. Representing the freedom they had been given and the second chance at life, the city continued to take shape, growing in complexity if not population over such a short time.

Looking up, Talitha watching the stars, taking note of several moving points of light that she had figured out were ships in orbit far above. As much as she had wanted to leave at first, the truth was that she did not have anywhere to return to and nowhere safer to hide. So long as the Wardens welcomed them on their world, she would stay, safe from the Batarians as she healed from her years of slavery.

* * *

 **1st Day of 6th Month, 2459/June 10, 2180/June 10, 2589**

 **Citadel Embassy**

 **Sydney, Earth**

"First day of sixth month in year 2459, 26 days since arrival on Human homeworld, Lieutenant Tolan of Salarian Tasks Group. Observations on human infrastructure sufficient to merit recording," Lieutenant Tolan started. As an STG operative assigned to accompany the Citadel's delegation and gather information on the Wardens, it was Tolan's job to report anything notable for further investigation. From what he'd already seen, the operative was suspecting that this would be the first of many such logs.

Ignoring such distracting thoughts, he continued, "Much of human society is integrated with their technology. Similar to usage of Omni-tools, but also significantly different. Talked with human scientist about subject, very intelligent and educational, also very concerning. Objective is for technology to be so usable and functional that those unfamiliar with it do not even realize that it exists. Humans have created an entire field out of single question on how to use their own creations and applied their discoveries to great effect."

"Will be hard to describe how to notice this, for it is designed to not be noticed. It was in the small things that I first became aware of this oddity. Manual tasks, done automatically and not given thought, do not have to be done at all. Original hypothesis that attributed such pampering to the wealth afforded delegation is unlikely, discussion with human adds to rejection of that conclusion."

Tolan stopped for a short moment before changing subjects, "Concerns of Artificial Intelligence use by Wardens considered legitimate, though not proven. Suspicions aroused by fields of employ and observations of common industrial services. Automation is prevalent on Earth at least, possible that distant colonies do not have infrastructure necessary to support such efficiency. Many common jobs are filled by machines, leaving humans to concentrate on higher priorities, indicates high level of education across territory. Repeat, possible differences off homeworld, though searches on human Waypoint indicate similar on all but most recent colonies."

"Survey of human industries indicates similar levels of automation. Almost all manufacturing, processing, and production lines require minimal oversight, exceptions limited to non-critical items. Production capacity concerning, very difficult to interrupt in wartime if humans have automated repair as well. Cyber attack a possibility, unlikely if concerns of AI substantiated. Intelligence required to orchestrate society of this size would be sophisticated and adaptable, implies possible use of city-wide information network for communication. AI would have to be few in number but access to vast resources. Control of planetary networks or perhaps entire systems? Too many options to isolate with limited data."

"Situation bears obvious resemblance to Geth mistake. Convincing humans to cease the use of such widely automated systems considered impossible without suppression by Council. Trust of machines is implicit within human society, connected to usability factors mentioned earlier in report. Citadel Delegation fallen into same trap by use of self-driving vehicles and cleaning services. Impressive to see, danger of human products supplanting native companies in Citadel territory."

The Salarian paused for a second to mess with settings on his omnitool before resuming, "STG exclusive report, classified by order of the Dalatrass. Report on threats from interaction with Wardens by other species. Must start by declaring most interactions harmless, many members of Citadel do not have aspirations regarding new species. Primary concerns about Asari, Turian, and Krogan."

"Turian issues obvious, desire to initiate hostilities needs to be controlled until more information is collected. Current outcome of conflict considered unfavorable to Council interests by STG, affirmed by observations of industrial capabilities of a prominent members of Wardens. Contact between Wardens and Krogan presents greatest threat to preserving current situation, human moral standards differ from Council significantly. Likely that cure for Genophage would be pushed by Wardens due to their Mantle, obviously absolutely unacceptable."

"Standard Asari doctrine of cultural absorption considered unlikely to succeed, I consider this the greatest threat should it backfire. Adoption of human machines into Citadel cultures possible insertion vector for AI threat, disruption of civilian life by lack of products should hostilities be initiated. Dependence on foreign imports by one of the Council's primary species is exploitable to extreme," Tolan warned.

After another second of waiting so that the STG could cleanly remove his classified report and then 'leak' the rest , he finished, "Will continue to investigate possibility of Artificial Intelligence, may be hampered if core is not within city. Awaiting further orders should the Council or Dalatrass require change in operating parameters."

* * *

 **Stuff is really starting to pick up speed in this chapter. Obviously.**

 **Talitha is a former slave that the player meets in a Mass Effect game, not an OC. I will not focus on some OC unless it is to expand upon some other aspect of the story, and an OC will never become an important character.**

- _evevee_


End file.
